CASE STUDY
PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY
CREATIVE SERVICES | PARTNERSHIPS | STRATEGY | IMPLEMENTATION
We manage a multi-year initiative we created with Ocean Conservancy to mobilize millions of fans to turn their passion for sports, art, and music into action for our ocean.
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Extreme weather—exacerbated by climate change—threatens every part of our lives, including the sports, art, and music that bring us together.
Ocean Conservancy, the world’s leading ocean health organization, recognizes that the ocean is our planet's life-support system. Every second breath we take comes from ocean-produced oxygen, and the ocean absorbs 25% of carbon emissions and 90% of excess heat warming the Earth.*
Ocean Conservancy’s research reveals two critical insights:
The #1 reason people cite for not engaging in climate action:
"No one I trust has asked me to do it."Climate change is a unifying issue, particularly for younger generations. Ocean conservation is one of the most accessible and least political climate actions.
Our challenge was to create a unifying, multi-year initiative that mobilizes millions of fans to take action to protect the ocean and, by extension, the planet.
THE CHALLENGE
*United Nations: “The ocean – the world’s greatest ally against climate change”
OUR SOLUTION
To inspire action at scale, we needed a bold, shared mission that connected climate action to the emotional core of the fan experience. Leveraging the trusted voices of athletes, artists, and entertainers, we set out to unite the sports and entertainment industries behind a compelling, inclusive message: Protect Where We Play.
Built on the insight that the most effective motivator for climate action is protecting the experiences we love for future generations, Protect Where We Play is a five-year commitment to engage and mobilize fans to take action for the ocean alongside their favorite stars, teams, leagues, and events.
100%
50%
of life on our blue planet is supported by the ocean.*
of the world’s oxygen is produced by the ocean.*
90%
MILLIONS
of the excess heat from climate change is absorbed by the ocean.*
of unique species rely on habitats and ecosystems provided by the ocean.*
*United Nations: “The ocean – the world’s greatest ally against climate change”
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17 SPORT’s ROLE
Overall strategy and management of the five-year initiative
Brand identity and communications strategy
Website development
Social media campaign and email marketing
Video production
Team Ocean Captain recruitment and management
Industry partner activation planning and production
Recruitment and management of strategic partnerships
Recruitment, management, and activation of teams, leagues, venues, and events
“I’m joining Protect Where We Play because I believe that if we can harness the joy, passion, and fighting spirit that sports creates in us all, we can achieve incredible things.”
Napheesa Collier, WNBA All-Star and Team Ocean Captain
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BRINGING A VISION TO LIFE: BRAND, CREATIVE, AND COMMUNICATIONS
We built Protect Where We Play on a powerful visual and narrative identity designed to unite fans, athletes, and artists in a shared mission. Rooted in strategic insights, we developed a bold, recognizable brand—featuring a dynamic color palette, typography, and logo system—to capture the energy of sports, entertainment, and the ocean. Our streamlined design system ensures consistency across all activations, while our multi-channel communications strategy amplifies reach through social, press, and digital content.
Bringing the brand to life, we produced the Anthem film—an emotional centerpiece of the campaign’s launch. Through high-impact cinematography and a compelling blend of athlete and artist voices, the film delivers a resonant call to action. We developed a dedicated campaign website as an interactive hub and implemented targeted email marketing to extend reach and engagement and keep fans and stakeholders connected.
Beyond digital, we develop immersive in-person activations for strategic partners and teams, leagues, and events (TLEVs) to ensure audiences experience the campaign at every touchpoint. Tailored partner toolkits—ranging from plug-and-play assets to bespoke experiences—help bring Protect Where We Play partnerships to life.
TEAM OCEAN CAPTAINS
We identified, recruited, and manage an elite group of athletes, musicians, and artists committed to using their platforms to engage and inspire—the Team Ocean Captions. Mobilizing the collective power of their fans, the Team Ocean Captains are leading the charge for Protect Where We Play.
Currently on our star-studded roster are:
Napheesa Collier - WNBA All-Star, Olympic champion, and ‘Unrivaled’ league co-founder
Ezra Frech - Double Paralympian, Gold Medalist, and World Champion athlete
Kelvin Beachum Jr. - NFL athlete and activist
Brent Suter - MLB athlete and sustainability advocate
As part of our strategy for Team Ocean, we create personalized, purpose-driven narratives for each Captain. These narratives align their individual purposes with the larger Protect Where We Play mission to be showcased in custom video content and campaign materials and enhance their overall impact.
Merle Liivand
Eco Athlete
Riley Bahr
Eco Athlete
THE IMPACT
Protect Where We Play is an influential movement uniting sports and entertainment for a critical environmental cause. By leveraging the power of fandom and trusted voices, 17 Sport and Ocean Conservancy have built a scalable, long-term initiative that will inspire climate action for years to come.
Stay tuned for updates on our impact as the initiative progresses.
“At Ocean Conservancy, we believe sports is one of the most powerful tools we can use to influence popular culture and get more people to care about protecting the ocean and our planet. 17 Sport’s experience, insight and creative excellence was critical to us bringing to life our most ambitious campaign ever in sports.”
Jenna DiPaolo, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Ocean Conservancy
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