How Ben Strebel fired up climate consciousness

Following yesterday’s sad news that Make My Money Matter – the green pressure group co-founded by film director Richard Curtis – is to close due to falling donations, Ben Strebel chats to shots about the making of Beep, another in a series of impactful ads encouraging consumers to check the eco credentials of finance brands.

Offering consumers help with switching to banks/pensions that don’t fund fossil fuels, Make My Money Matter’s website announces that it will have to close 7 March. The organisation was launched in 2020 and has received support from campaigners and celebrities including Stephen Fry, Chris Packham and Caroline Lucas.

MMMM’s closure comes at time when we are experiencing a worrying backlash against environmental, social and governance (ESG) focused investing, even though scientists are warning that global warming is close to a dangerous tipping point.

Strebel discusses the development of Beep’s inflammatory content, the technical challenges and his own management of climate anxiety.

The ad deftly depicts consumer oblivion in the face of an inferno; how was the concept developed?

Mother came to us with the idea of exposing high-street banks’ proactive participation in the destruction of the planet. It felt like an opportunity to create a film that could expose institutional complicity in the climate crisis in a visually powerful way, without pointing the finger at the consumer.

We felt it imperative to avoid creating caricatures – to give personality to each of the characters and allow the audience to engage with them on a human level.

They key objective was to educate rather lecture. It’s a fine line that relies heavily on the tone of the film and the way the customers are framed within it. They too, like the environment, are the victims here.

The script is very subtle and ironic, with a great range of  characters. Who wrote it?

Mother conjured the brilliant concept of the film, which we developed  together in terms of dialogue and climactic structure. It felt important to  give as much personality to each of the characters and allow the  audience to engage with them on a human level. We felt it imperative to  avoid creating caricatures.

The power lies in the contrast between the blissful ignorance of  the people and their almost throwaway conversations in face of the  harrowing truth.

The irony and wit in the script, and language used, serves to further  expose how we are being played by major high street banks. The power  lies in the contrast between the blissful ignorance of the people and their almost throwaway conversations with the cashier in face of the  harrowing truth that's unfolding around them.

Have you had any responses from the big five fossil-fuel supporting banks? How effective do you think the campaign will be?

On a personal level not yet, but I predict MMMM’s inbox is overflowing  with protestation.

My daughter is seven and she regularly wanders into my room  at night unable to sleep because she is worrying about the ‘planet dying’

There was talk of some major news outlets featuring the piece, but  perhaps the actual mentioning of key offenders might have dissuaded  them from running it – testament to how intertwined we all are with  organisations that are actively damaging the planet.

Driving the campaign is the unsettling science – that 2024 was the hottest on record and the first with an average temperature exceeding 1.5C above the pre-industrial levels. How much climate anxiety are you personally experiencing?

I have two young kids. My daughter is seven and she regularly wanders into my room at night unable to sleep because she is worrying about the ‘planet dying’ (those are her actual words).

While fear keeps me up at night, I try and remain hopeful about the fundamental power of humanity working together to solve collective issues.

My wife and I try not to amplify the severity of the issue of climate change, but at the same time take her to marches, etc as much as possible.

While fear keeps me up at night, I try and remain hopeful about the fundamental power of humanity working together to solve collective issues, such as was seen during the pandemic.

There were raging flames around the cast at times.

I’m hopeful the ignorant current political climate is just a blip in the system and will disappear as quickly as it arose.