There is likely no one on this earth who has had a life similar to David Attenborough’s. He lived through a world war, was in the navy, has a knighthood and has won countless television awards. From whales to polar bears he has seen it all. Attenborough is now 94, and still wants to help us protect our planet. Even though most people would start slowing down at his age, he feels it is his duty to give us the information we need to save our planet, even if it involves new methods of communication he has never used before.
I first remember seeing Attenborough every Sunday night after my roast dinner on Planet Earth. I always was amazed by his voice and his complete love for the animals but above all his knowledge. He talks about how he has known there was a problem for years but wanted to have researched it to the absolute max before he got his message out and to know the best forms of communication to get it out. I think this is the most impressive thing about him. Given the current state of the environment, it is imperative that something is done to stop the continual destruction of the planet. David Attenborough knows this, but more importantly, knows that the people who could actually make the difference are not the older generations, but the millennials. He has realised it is something that we need to be brought up with and that the solutions must be given before people have a chance to make the mistakes. From his advertising and marketing for his new Netflix film, this is abundantly clear.
On the 24th September 2020, Attenborough started his first Instagram account breaking the Guinness World Record for fastest user to Reach one million followers in just four hours and forty-four minutes. Breaching from the normal forms of communication he has used over the last sixty years, this highlights how he and his marketing team are taking advantage of modern media. This was definitely not a whim from Attenborough so that he can finally post pictures of himself and his friends on holiday, but a stroke of marketing genius. This was exactly the media attention he needed before the release of his Netflix film. It had everyone talking about it, and everyone going to look at his account. When you arrive at his account it is simply flooded with poignant videos highlighting environmental issues. These have all racked up millions of views, which completely proves that social media is now the most effective form of communication there is. This account has enabled him to reach a plethora of people that would not normally be interested in him or the environment.
Another very interesting use of modern media is the fact he chose Netflix to stream his new film ‘A Life On Our Planet’ on the 28th September. This is another first for Attenborough, as all his previous shows like Our Planet, were aired on BBC. This again shows that he and his marketing team know television doesn’t have the same traction it used to, especially with younger generations like millennials. I know if I had to chose between Sky and Netflix, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose Netflix. It is also known that families nowadays are scrapping their Sky subscriptions altogether due to its very expensive monthly fees and opting for the much cheaper and more accessible Netflix. I definitely feel like it is difficult today in modern society to find a millennial who doesn’t have access to a Netflix account, whether they have their own or whether they know their friend’s password. This is key in Attenborough’s attempt to make the younger generation aware of the problems in the environment. I found the movie extremely eye opening because I definitely wasn’t aware of the extent of the problem. If we want our kids to live in a better world we need to make changes now.
I find this new presentation of Attenborough fascinating as it is easy just to see him as a very old man that my parents talk about sometimes. However after using these new forms of communication, it almost seems like he is more relatable and more in tune with the world as it is now. It seems to add validity to his message as this is how young people get information nowadays. It is also astonishing to see how wide an audience he can really reach, and how quickly he can do so, just by branching out of his comfort zone and away from his usual platforms of advertising. I think he is a great man and has done so much for our planet, I just hope it isn’t too late!
Charlotte Cockcroft is a final year BSc in Communication Management and Public Relations student at Ulster University. She can be found on: LinkedIn – Charlotte Cockcroft, Twitter – @Charlottecockcr and Instagram – @charlottecockcroft .