We created the world’s first true global goals summits on actual summits – mountains all over Norway. To enlighten Norwegians, we did it at night with the Enlightenment Trails. Over the past four years, 55,000 hikers have lit up mountains and summits all over the country, educating Norwegians about the 17 goals.

Following our NORAD spotlight in the One H+K newsletter, we asked the NORAD team a few more questions about why the campaign is Cannes-worthy…

What about this work makes you the most proud?
There are a lot of things about this campaign that make us proud. But if we have to choose, two things really stand out:

We’re proud of the fact that a majority of the participants in their feedback after the events say that they chose to come, not for the entertainment or for the free concert, but to walk together in support of the sustainable development goals. This means that there is a real desire among people to learn about the goals and to feel that they are a part of a bigger movement for positive change in society. It also means that we have created something that at its core is appealing to people, and that we don’t have to use superficial tactics or distractions to engage a lot of people on this important issue.

From an internal aspect we are very proud that everyone has really been hands on in this project. From senior consultants to summer interns – everybody who has been part of the team has helped to carry lights, sign posts, posters, light cubes, camera equipment, speakers, you name it, up and down mountains all over Norway. We could not have done a single event without the dedication and hard work (physically) from the entire team. This is a true team effort and success.

What’s one lesson from this work that you’ll carry with you? 
When you invite thousands of people to vulnerable natural areas learn about sustainability, you have to do it in a sustainable way. From transportation and littering to the use of electricity, we have had to overcome many challenges in order to “live what we preach.” The truth is that on the first event we did see people flying in from other parts of the country. We did use too much electricity, and we did spend many hours cleaning up trash that the hikers had left behind.

But we also learned how to do it better. Today we use low electricity LED-powered lighting in our light cubes, powered by sustainable energy, and we host Enlightenment trails all across the country, so people don’t have to travel long distances to participate. We still have to clean up after, but by educating the participants beforehand and during the event, the littering has been significantly reduced each time.

Watch NORAD “The Enlightenment Trail”