The ocean
plastic
problem
goes deep.
The ocean plastic problem is so bad that new deep-sea species are being found already contaminated by plastic. To highlight this, the German branch of the WWF made history and got the world talking and taking action.
Plastic proliferates at the
bottom
of the Mariana trench.
A new deep-sea species named after the plastic found inside its body.
When you find a new species, you get to give it a name. To make an environmental statement against ocean plastic, we named a new deep-sea species after the plastic that was found inside its body - Eurythenes plasticus.
Please watch the case study.
A scientific collaboration.
In collaboration with a scientific team led by renowned marine ecologist Dr Alan Jamieson from Newcastle University, a new contaminated species was found off the coast of the Philippines at a depth close to 7000m in the Mariana Trench. The newly discovered amphipod was named Eurythenes plasticus after the PET plastic that was found in its hind gut.
Shining a spotlight
on the problem.
We launched the campaign on the 5th of March and made history by making Eurythenes plasticus officially part of our planet's taxonomic record. Within hours of the ZOOTAXA publication, a worldwide conversation had ignited over the extent of the plastic pollution in our oceans in over forty countries without any media spend.
Driving visibility and persuasion.
Closely following the publication of the new species, we rolled out a cross-platform campaign. We made interactive and educational social ads using the pitch, play, plunge principle to drive conversion. We printed the full 8000 word scientific manuscript on OOH posters describing in detail why E. plasticus has its unfortunate name. A digital OOH flight enhanced campaign visibility. And a cinema spot took the audience on an emotional journey into the depths of the Mariana Trench where the disturbing discovery was made. Every touchpoint encouraged people to sign a petition asking for a legally binding global UN agreement to put an end to marine plastic pollution.
Sign the petition ›
A permanent educative reminder.
This crossover of advertising and science enabled us to eternalize the idea by partnering with museums in Germany and also internationally – including the Smithsonian – to permanently display the new species as an educative awakening for the conservation of our oceans.
For the future fighters of our oceans.
Due to massive interest from schools to integrate the subject into the curriculum, we developed together with the scientists the
website www.plasticus.school as an international educational resource that has thousands of downloads to date.
Please visit www.plasticus.school
The results.
1.4 B
estimated reach
› 120 K
Petition signatures
› 410 K
exhibition visitors to date
€ 12 M
in earned media
93
COUNTRIES DISCUSSED PLASTICUS ONLINE
Guinness world record holder