Jun 1, 2012-2012
United States of America
Shell’s epic party fail
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ACTIVISTS/ACT.GROUPS/DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP
Yes Men/ Greenpeace/Occupy
TARGET
Royal Dutch Shell
WIDELY HELD BELIEF
Oil companies shouldn’t destroy the Arctic for profit.
CASE NARRATIVE
Issue and Opponent: Royal Dutch Shell was ramping up efforts to drill in the Arctic. Spent billions on its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.
Dilemma Action: A gala was announced in Seattle. The event goes haywire when a miniature rig-drink-dispenser malfunctions and sprays the guest of honor, the “widow” of the rig’s designer. Several journalists decide to publish a video taken by an “infiltrator,” which brings global recognition to Shell’s destructive plans. A hoax website connected to the Arctic project is launched as well.
Outcomes: Shell threatened the activists with a lawsuit. It publicized Shell’s Arctic program and ruined their “let’s go” branding to boot. Greenpeace was well-positioned to build on its success. While Obama failed to stop Arctic drilling, Shell scuttled their own Arctic program through sheer, massive incompetence.
PRIMARY STRUGGLE/GOAL
NONVIOLENT TACTICS USED
DA TACTICS USED
Hoax website
Public illusion
Subvertising
CASE NARRATIVE WRITER
SUCCESS METRICS
11 / 12
(CONC) Concessions were made
(EREP) Dilemma action got replicated by other movements
(MC) Media Coverage
(MSYMP) Media coverage was sympathetic to the activists
(OR) Opponent response
(PS) Dilemma action built sympathy with the public
(PUN) Punishment favored the activists
(REFR) Dilemma action reframed the narrative of the opponent
(RF) Dilemma action reduced fear and/or apathy among the activists
(SA) Dilemma action appealed to a broad segment of the public
Laugtivism
PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN
1 / 3
Activist group continued working together after the action
RESOURCES
Project documentation
Dilemma Actions Coding Guidebook
Case study documentation
Dilemma_Actions_Analysis_Dataset
SOURCES
The Yes Men. “Shell’s Epic Party Fail/ #ShellFAIL viral campaigners exposed,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://theyesmen.org/project/shellfail/revealrelease).
United Press International. 2012. “Occupy, Greenpeace target Shell, media,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://www.upi.com/Energy-News/2012/06/08/Occupy-Greenpeace-target-Shell-media/76611339155606/?u3L=1).
The Yes Men. “Shell’s Epic Party Fail/ Shell mulls lawsuit following fiction,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://theyesmen.org/project/shellfail/shell-legal?_ga=2.131280975.1795673215.1647530072-975842037.1647530072).
The Yes Men. “Shell’s Epic Party Fail/ Broken rig prop sprays dowager, broken website sprays company!,” Retrieved July 23, 2023. (https://theyesmen.org/project/shellfail/press).
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