Miguel and Elena are the perfect couple–the classic story, love at first sight. But Miguel is a fisherman, and with the oceans warming, he has to travel farther and farther to find fish. He goes so far, in fact, that he disappears. Heartbroken, Elena seeks comfort in the arms of Ernesto, Miguel’s best friend. But just as the couple seems to have found happiness again, Miguel returns from his long voyage. Miguel, Elena and Ernesto are puppet characters, giving a tongue-in-cheek vibe to the project, which at the same time spotlights a serious issue.
The plot seems like it could come right out of a Mexican telenovela. But it’s happening in the real world with black-browed albatrosses, one of the most faithful species in the animal world. Animals known for relationships that can last over 50 years are getting “divorced” for the first time in history. And why? The climate crisis, which is warming the planet’s oceans and forcing albatrosses to fly longer and longer distances to find food. That means that couples may not be reunited in time for mating season, which triggers a search for new partners.
This is the storyline of “Muy Caliente,” the first “Mexican telenovela” produced by WWF-Brasil (World Wide Fund for Nature) in partnership with AlmapBBDO in São Paulo, which uses offbeat humor to alert people about how climate change is damaging the planet and the life to which it is home. The first of the series’ three episodes has become available on WWF-Brasil’s social media. In addition to raising awareness, the initiative is meant to designed to spur donations to help the organization conserve marine life.
“The plot is based on classic Mexican telenovelas such as La Usurpadora, Llamas de la Pasión, and the other classics we all watched on SBT. At the same time, it’s an authentic depiction of the impacts of the climate crisis on ocean life,” said Cake Llaguno, a creative copywriter at AlmapBBDO. “We got script supervision from a biologist, helping us craft a fun, moving, and playful narrative around the problems these animals have faced. All designed to inform and touch audiences who’ve been hearing nonstop about climate issues.”
The series was produced by production studio Vetor Zero and directed by Gabriel Nóbrega, with audio, soundtrack, and sound design by PUNCH Audio.
