The climate crisis is a total drag but Ellery Studio and IKEM are doing something about it with fun and informative short videos on climate and energy topics. This experimental format is called "Infodrag", and it's narrated by none other than Viagra Falls, one of Berlin's most notorious drag queens.

We've seen content creators like Pattie Gonia, Jamie Margolin or Greta Thunberg take environmental activism to the social media masses, effectively addressing societal or climate challenges in a completely new and exciting way. Can this innovative video-based form of engagement and outreach be a viable new communication tool for traditional players of the climate and energy community?

As the climate crisis looms, climate and energy transition topics deserve all the attention they can possibly get. So why not use the story-telling power and glamor of a drag queen to tell everyone what's the tea?

In a collaborative research project between long-term creative partners Ellery Studio and the Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM), we test this idea by combining science communication with performance in an experimental format.

In a pilot series, we tested what it takes for researchers, designers and performers to collaboratively translate scientific continent into a spectacle. We created short videos with animated infographics, filled with life by Viagra Falls, a seasoned Berlin drag performer. Each video focuses on different topics that range from big-picture issues such as global emissions, climate justice and the need for more renewables to reach our climate targets to nitty gritty subjects such as energy subsidies and climate litigation.

In this project, our researchers, scientists and designers not only familiarized themselves with a novel narratives for climate and energy content, they also celebrated insights, values and passions the LGBTQIA+ community offers the energy transition industry. Moreover, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is an ongoing research topic for both Ellery Studio and IKEM. Social innovation is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage in the energy transition, driving innovation, equity, and sustainability.

Infodrag is meant as an inspiration for other climate and energy institutions to get creative with the way our industry communicates. It's an invitation to experiment with messaging and to celebrate diverse perspectives on the challenges we're facing while shifting to sustainable energy systems.

If you're inspired to experiment with similar spirited formats, or if you're interested in sponsoring or co-creating more Infodrag episodes for specific topics, don't hesitate to get in contact! Viagra Falls would be excited to spice up your renewable energy topics or climate research.Creativity is to discover a question that has never been asked. If one brings up an idiosyncratic question, the answer he gives will necessarily be unique as well.

Infodrag is a collaboration between

Produced with support from the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the producers and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.