Creative Rebellion: The Strategic Anatomy of a Viral Moment
As the Rio de Janeiro skyline shimmered with anticipation for the G20 summit from 18 to19 November, 2024, six paragliders descended like living currency, transforming an ordinary morning into an extraordinary moment of global protest.
Transparency International’s ‘Money Gliders’ campaign wasn’t just a stunt—it was a masterfully choreographed critique of systemic corruption that turned the world’s political landscape into its stage.
The Conceptual Genesis
Innocean Berlin’s creative team, led by Chief Creative Officer Gabriel Mattar, conceived a visual metaphor that would be impossible to ignore.
“We wanted to make corruption as visible and invasive as the dollar bills raining from the sky,” Mattar explained.
“Each paraglider was a statement, each dollar bill a weapon of visual rhetoric.”
Technical Precision Meets Activist Imagination
Working closely with local partner Midias Inovadoras, the team engineered a complex aerial intervention that required military-like precision.
Paragliders were carefully designed to mimic giant currency, their very form a commentary on how money flows and manipulates global systems.
The Message: Beyond Spectacle
The provocative banner stretching across Barra da Tijuca Beach posed a razor-sharp question: “How obvious should corruption be before it’s a G20 priority?”
Maíra Martini, Transparency International’s Head of Policy and Advocacy, didn’t mince words: “This isn’t just performance—it’s a direct challenge to global leadership. Corruption isn’t a peripheral issue; it’s a systemic cancer eating away at sustainable development, economic growth, and social equity.”
Decoding the Visual Metaphor
The ‘Money Gliders’ represent more than a creative protest.
They symbolise:
The pervasiveness of corruption in global economic systems
Transparency International and Innocean Berlin have demonstrated that in an age of information overload, breakthrough moments require bold imagination, technical excellence, and an unwavering commitment to critical messaging.
The ‘Money Gliders’ didn’t just fly—they soared, carrying a message that demanded the world’s attention.
The APPIES is an annual event that presents a rare opportunity for creative, media, digital and marketing agencies or brands to present their best campaigns to the industry.
This is the only event where Live Presentations meets Live Judging.
Similar to TED Talks, The APPIES is the chance for great presenters with outstanding work to show it off to some of the industry’s most important industry leaders.
This year’s winners will receive Gold, Silver or Bronze trophies for 21 categories, and 6 special Best of Best categories (red trophies) that require no submissions!
Campaign entries must have run between June 2024 to May 2025
