Richard Curtis wants to end poverty with advertising campaign that aims to reach 7 billion people in seven days

The global campaign will launch in September

Richard Curtis at a charity evening in 2013 (Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images)

The true meaning of the phrase ‘clever marketing’ will be put to the test when a new global advertising campaign is launched this year.

The campaign comes from Project Everyone, which was set up by filmmaker Richard Curtis.

It aims to share the United Nation's global goals to tackle poverty and climate change by 2030.

And it hopes to reach 7 billion people in just seven days.

It will run from 25 September to 1 October, after the United Nations unveils its goals.

Part of the campaign is an advert, called #WeHaveAPlan. It will be the first cinema advert to show in 30 countries.

Created by advertising executive Sir John Hegarty, the advert is a partnership between Project Everyone and the Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA).

“The Global Goals could be an amazingly important, effective and practical to-do list for the planet,” Richard Curtis said, as reported in The Drum.

“What we hope to achieve with the global goals campaign is, in movie language, have a huge opening weekend… If we achieve that we’ll be one step closer to the goals themselves being effective.”

The general manager of SAWA, Cheryl Wannell, said the campaign was a “game changer”.

“We are tremendously excited to announce this fantastic partnership in what will go down in history as not only an amazing campaign but also a game changer for the cinema advertising medium and the biggest undertaking SAWA has ever done.”

The Project Everyone website reads: “If the goals are met, they ensure the health, safety and future of the planet for everyone on it. And their best chance of being met is if everyone on the planet is aware of them. So the simple but mighty ambition of Project Everyone – is to share the global goals with 7 billion people in 7 days.”

In addition to the #WeHaveAPlan advert in cinemas, the campaign aims to reach people through websites, TV, radio stations, billboards, newspapers and magazines.

“Arming everyone with the knowledge of the global goals means that we are able to hold leaders accountable for the future of our planet,” the website reads.