On Wednesday 2 August, Earth woke us up with a jolt as we marked the 2023 Earth Overshoot Day: a grim reminder that humanity's demand for ecological resources has exceeded what nature can regenerate in a year. But this wake-up call is not just a bleak revelation; it is a turning point for creatives worldwide.

Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits.

This symbolic marker of time is not a message of loss, but one of hope and possibility, and the power we all have as creatives. If we embrace change, our future can be so abundant, optimistic and fair, without waste, without depleting Nature so it can no longer support us.

As the longstanding creative partner to PlasticFree, Made Thought directed the 'Earth’s Wake Up Call' campaign that draws attention to this alarming date and ignites a fire for change. Broadcast across New York’s Times Square, amplified by leading platforms Dezeen, It's Nice That, Dieline, and Waterbear, the call is clear: all creatives must unite. Instead of foolishly borrowing from a future that is not ours, we must drive new design practices forward that will push back the date for years to come.

"We urge every creative talent globally to take this day as a radical tipping point, not into climate disaster, but into a brave and powerful movement to use their brilliant skills for good. Never have we needed you more."
—Sian Sutherland, Co-founder, PlasticFree and A Plastic Planet

“We are staring down the barrel of one of the most challenging periods in human history, and there is a unanimous agreement that we must change the way we produce goods. Our little regard for the resources we are using and the waste we are creating, needs to stop.

The 'Earth's Wake Up Call' campaign serves as an alarm bell for humanity, sounding as a bleak revelation, but a profound turning point for creatives worldwide. It highlights the need for us to transition from being contributors of the problem to creators of solution.

Design interconnects every aspect of our world, and we firmly believe that every creative professional today has a role in exploring, interpreting, and driving this new future. PlasticFree gives us the confidence and know-how to radically reinvent and reimagine materials to create systems change, ushering in a world 2.0 where design and ecology can finally combine rather than compete.

The campaign is a simple, yet timely call to action—a rallying cry for all creatives to unite.”

—Ben Parker, Co-founder, Made Thought