A bold new global campaign is reframing how the world sees the Great Barrier Reef—no longer just as a tourist destination or endangered ecosystem, but as a living legacy worthy of one of the planet's highest environmental honours.
Launched on World Earth Day, the Lifetime of Greatness initiative proposes the Great Barrier Reef as the first non-human recipient of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The campaign is a collaborative effort between creative agency Supermassive and Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ), with support from scientists, Traditional Owners, environmental advocates, and major organisations such as Tourism Australia, Qantas, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
“This is more than a campaign—it’s a global storytelling moment,” explained Jon Austin, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Supermassive. “We realised that some of the most powerful environmental shifts in history were sparked by extraordinary individuals—think Jane Goodall or David Attenborough. And suddenly, we saw the Reef in that same light: a living, breathing entity that has been serving the planet for millennia.”
The campaign reframes the Reef as an environmental hero, deserving of formal global recognition. At its core is a message both provocative and hopeful: the best way to protect the Reef is to engage with it—ethically and meaningfully.
Lani Cooper, TTNQ’s general manager of marketing, acknowledged that the Reef’s image has taken a hit in recent years, particularly following mass coral bleaching events and widespread messaging that deterred visitation.
“Since our peak in 2016, visitation has dropped significantly,” Cooper said. “There’s this perception that the Reef is gone, that visiting harms it. But that’s not the whole story. Conservation is alive and well, and visitors play a vital role in supporting both the economy and the environmental work happening here.”
Indeed, the campaign balances a local Australian narrative with a global lens. Though the Reef is a physical location off the coast of Queensland, its significance is universal.
“People around the world already feel a strong emotional connection to the Reef,” Austin added. “This isn’t about tourism marketing. It’s about inviting people to recognise the Reef as a planetary treasure—an elder of the natural world—and giving it the voice and recognition it deserves.”
Storytelling is the linchpin of the campaign. Backed by video content and testimony from diverse voices—scientists, Indigenous custodians, para-athletes like Sam Bloom—the narrative reaches across cultures and continents.
“The challenge wasn’t finding people who wanted to speak,” said Cooper. “It was narrowing it down. So many people have stories about the Reef. We had to carefully curate a chorus that represents its true scale and impact.”
By proposing the Reef for the UNEP’s Lifetime Achievement Award—traditionally reserved for individuals who have contributed decades to environmental causes—the campaign is also making a pointed statement: the Reef has done just that, on a geological timescale.
The campaign runs through the end of June, with award results expected later in the year. Organisers hope the nomination prompts not just recognition, but a shift in how the world supports the Reef—moving from reactive crisis management to proactive, long-term stewardship.
“We’re always on the defensive,” said Cooper. “One negative headline and people assume the Reef is lost. This is about reclaiming that narrative and showing the world that the Reef is resilient, worthy, and still very much alive.”
