Greenpeace: Extreme Weather ‘Peace Not Oil’

Millions of online impressions generated within hours of the projection

A world first: Greenpeace USA became the first activist organisation to transform the Hollywood Sign with a projection Greenpeace 

Timed to the opening of COP28, the world’s largest annual climate summit, with over 84,000 delegates, world leaders and global media in attendance in Dubai

Coverage: Greenpeace International · Greenpeace USA · KQED (NPR affiliate, San Francisco) · international wire distribution

This was, without question, the most technical project we have ever delivered. Transforming one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks into what appeared to be a burning Hollywood Sign demanded months of planning, precision engineering and flawless execution.

Every aspect of the projection mapping had to work perfectly across an enormous, uneven landscape, with multiple projectors aligned over extreme distances to create a single seamless illusion.

We produced the campaign content and used large-scale projection mapping to make the iconic landmark appear to be engulfed in flames and covered in oil, while dramatic footage of California’s climate disasters played across the sign.

The result blurred the line between reality and visual effects, creating an unforgettable moment that looked like a Hollywood blockbuster.

Timed to coincide with the opening of COP28, the projection became a powerful piece of projection advertising, combining technical excellence with a message that could not be ignored. Greenpeace USA became the first activist organisation to transform the Hollywood Sign with a projection.

Our team designed and delivered one of the most ambitious projection stunts ever attempted.

The project required:

• Precision projection mapping across the iconic Hollywood Sign.
• Multiple high-powered projectors positioned over long distances to create a perfectly aligned image.
• Custom mapping to account for the individual letters, terrain and viewing angles.
• Careful environmental and logistical planning to deliver the projection safely and accurately.
• We created the cinematic visual content that brought the campaign to life with a powerful voiceover featuring the governor of California, Gavin Newsom
• We climbed to the top of the hill with support from activists and specialist climbers to make sure we got the exact vantage point and remained safe

The finished projection transformed the landmark into an immersive visual experience, showing the sign apparently burning while displaying scenes of wildfires, flooding and oil imagery, alongside calls for world leaders to take urgent climate action.

As a guerrilla campaign, it demonstrated how temporary public interventions can create global conversations without permanently altering a landmark.

It also showcased how an immersive installation can exist for just a few hours while generating worldwide attention that lasts far longer.

The campaign immediately captured global attention. The dramatic visuals were shared extensively across international media, news outlets and social platforms as world leaders gathered for COP28.

By transforming one of America’s most famous landmarks, Greenpeace USA placed climate change firmly into the public conversation at the exact moment global negotiations began.

The projection successfully demonstrated the power of social impact campaigns that combine creativity with world-class technical delivery.

A single night’s work generated worldwide press coverage, millions of online impressions and a striking visual narrative that audiences remembered long after the projection ended.

This project remains one of the clearest examples of how projection advertising, large-scale projection mapping, projection stunts, guerrilla campaigns and immersive installations can transform an iconic location into a global platform for change, proving that when spectacle meets purpose, the world pays attention.