WaterBear: The Social Action Platform Where Stories Don’t End — They Begin

In a content-saturated world, WaterBear is doing something radical: making stories matter after the credits roll.

Billed as the world’s first interactive social action platform dedicated to the future of our planet, WaterBear sits at the potent intersection of entertainment, activism, and technology. But to call it a “platform” undersells it. WaterBear is more like a living organism – part digital ecosystem, part social impact engine – where storytelling catalyses real-world change.

With award-winning originals like docu-fiction film ‘MATAR’, high-profile campaigns for Nikon like ‘The Mind in Focus’, and a rigorous internal ethics model that would make most ESG departments blush, WaterBear has built a blueprint for what purpose-driven media can look like in 2025 – and more importantly, what it can do.​

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A Mission Engineered for Action

“The goal was never just to inform or entertain,” says WaterBear’s chief growth officer, Poppy Mason-Watts. “It’s to inspire and then enable action – to transform inspiration into measurable impact.”

That transformation is embedded in WaterBear’s unique “Story → Inspiration → Action → Impact → Share” loop. After watching a piece of content, users are offered immediate, tailored ways to get involved: from signing petitions and attending local events to donating directly or joining missions via gamified action hubs. It’s storytelling with a second act – and a clear call to action.

WaterBear’s approach to partnerships is meticulous, and for good reason. “Authenticity is everything,” says Poppy. Before any collaboration gets off the ground, partners are vetted through a ‘Moral Compass’ framework – complete with two strict exclusion lists (covering everything from fossil fuels to weapons manufacturing), and a democratic internal voting process that requires 75% consensus for brands in a grey zone.

“We only work with those who share our values,” explains Poppy. “And if a partner isn’t perfect but wants to improve, we’ll co-create stories that show that journey – transparently and honestly.”

Concepts like the ‘Dinner is Scrapped’ docuseries exploring food waste and circular living exemplify this ethos. It’s not a PSA, it’s entertainment that nudges consumer behaviour, created alongside like-minded partners who believe in empowering the viewer, not lecturing them. This is feel-good, do-good storytelling that respects the viewer’s intelligence and agency.

Behind the scenes, WaterBear’s production model reflects its values: decentralised, nimble, and deeply collaborative. While a small in-house team oversees vision and impact alignment – including a dedicated impact producer on every project – WaterBear works closely with external creatives, often hiring in-country filmmakers and community contributors to ensure authentic representation.

“We don’t parachute in. We build trust,” says Poppy. “We’d rather hand the mic to someone with lived experience than bring in a ‘name’ director unfamiliar with the context.”

This has allowed them to build a catalogue that feels global yet personal, with stories shaped by those closest to the issues, from Indigenous filmmakers to local activists, all guided by WaterBear’s editorial compass.

Measuring What Matters

So, how do you measure impact when the goal isn’t views, but behavioural change?
Through a robust framework grounded in the IMP (impact measurement project) methodology, WaterBear tracks everything from awareness and behavioural shifts to legal and policy influence. Tools include feedback sessions, campaign reports, focus groups, and strategic screenings, often used to support advocacy or policymaking.

Their metrics span three levels:

• Filmmaking Process: Ethical storytelling, sustainable production
• Individual Impact: Knowledge gain, personal behaviour change
• Movement Impact: Grassroots action, policy influence, institutional engagement
  

One standout example includes ‘MATAR’, a docu-fiction film about asylum seekers in the UK. It sparked over 5,000 letters to MPs within 24 hours of release and became a cornerstone of community screenings, performances, and public debate around the UK’s Refugee Ban Bill. That’s the kind of after-effect most documentaries dream of. At WaterBear, it’s baked in.

In a time when climate messaging can often feel paralysing, WaterBear charts a different course: optimism without naivety.

“We’re big believers in imperfect activism,” says Poppy. “Our audience – three million and growing – isn’t made up of eco-warriors. It’s people who care but might not know where to start. We meet them there.”

Through personalised content, diverse voices, and localised actions, the platform builds confidence, not guilt. From Glastonbury Festival activations to TikTok-native formats, collaborations with internationally-recognised brands like Rolex, Patagonia and Jack Wolfskin among others, WaterBear is designed to meet people where they are – and gently pull them further along the path of participation.

WaterBear is now scaling beyond streaming, turning its platform into a fully-fledged action network, with plans for more personalised action hubs, improved dashboards and creator monetisation tools and NGO-led campaigns tied to local impact events, as well as ethical brand activations and live screenings.

Ultimately, WaterBear wants to become a new kind of home: for changemakers, for story lovers, and for those “imperfect activists” trying to turn feeling into doing.

Because as WaterBear proves, every good story deserves a better ending – one that starts with action.