We love this campaign because Science Moms knows their audience and isn't afraid to take climate change directly to them.
Why are we interested?
Traditional campaign messages about the dangers posed by climate change often stress the need to take actions that will limit global warming to less than two degrees by 2050. While this is an important bit of scientific information against which to build campaigns, it does little to create the urgency needed to achieve it, nor does it give people discrete and achievable actions that they can take.
#LaterIsTooLate has piqued our interest because rather than focusing the attention well outside of a timeframe in which people make decisions, it speeds up the timeline and presents the need for immediate action. It does so with emotionally resonant imagery, events, and locations with which their target audience, moms, would identify.
Who is involved?
Science Moms is a nonpartisan group of climate scientists and mothers who aim to take action for climate change and protect their children’s future. The group intends to demystify climate change and speak honestly about its impact on our environment.
What change are they seeking?
The goal of the #LaterIsTooLate campaign is clearly to serve as an awareness-raising campaign for both the organization and how climate change is taking away the places families love. Their call to action encourages people to share their stories and experiences with the campaign through Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Science Moms then highlights these submissions on its website and its social media.
In one specific ad, the #LaterIsTooLate campaign video highlights that the signs are all around us from wildfires, severe flooding, extreme haze, droughts, high temperatures, and harsh storms. The impactful video demonstrates that change can’t wait, and we must demand climate change solutions in the present to protect generations in the future.
What aspects of the campaign resonate the most?
Fundamentally, the literature in advocacy communication tells us that women are considered to be the most credible messengers when they act in defense of their children, homes, or families. Moms Demand Action is an example of an organization that has used this strategy to success. Similarly, Science Moms states, “We’re a group of nonpartisan climate scientists and mothers, working to give our children the planet they deserve.” This very clearly anchors Science Moms in a credible, unique value proposition for the climate change space.
In the #LaterIsTooLate campaign (and this campaign video in particular) they pull on those themes of saving the places we love for children, for the future. Typically, this kind of framing works well with people of all political persuasions. We might not be able to agree on much, but historically we have been able to agree that we want to leave a better place for our kids. Using billboards to highlight that disasters are climate change is also effective, almost like saying if anyone were waiting for a sign, here it is. If these billboards were real and the image was simply a photograph, it would have been mean-spirited and punching down. However, because the intended audience is the person watching the video (and most likely distributed through a targeted campaign), it is effective rather than gauche.
However, the most effective part of this campaign is its laser focus on its audience. Across several videos, Science Moms leverages female scientists, moms submitting testimonials, and anchors messages through the images and experiences of being a mother. While other people may find these ads compelling, it is the unapologetic focus on one audience profile that allows the organization to create a clear and effective message.
What questions do we have?
Beyond the initial awareness-raising campaign, we are left wondering what’s next. Will there be a specific policy that addresses climate change for which they advocate? The organization states that it sees its goal as demystifying climate change information, does that mean it will focus on communicating information that exists and driving action?
While its unclear how long the #LaterIsTooLate campaign will continue, an organization this focused and one that has this level of message discipline is a welcome entrant into the climate change advocacy field.
If you want to get more involved with Science Moms, you can visit their website for a range of actions that you can take.
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