Eurythenes plasticus

A new deep-sea species named after the plastic found inside its body.

The ocean plastic problem goes far deeper than anything previously imagined. The problem is so bad that new deep-sea species are being found already contaminated by plastic.

To make an environmental statement against ocean plastic we have named a new deep-sea species after the plastic found in its body:  Eurythenes plasticus. We then launched a multi-channel campaign asking for a legally binding global UN agreement to end the plastic flood into our oceans.

WATCH THE CASE FILM

Key Results

Great Work, Works Great

1.4B

12M

> 410K

120K

93

Potential Reach

Earned Media

Exhibition Visitors

Petition Signatures

Impacted Countries

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.

Dr Alan Jamieson & Johanna Weston

CT Scan with PET fiber

Mariana Trench

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.

An Integrated
Campaign.

Following the publication of the new species, we rolled out a cross-platform campaign including paid social, cinema, OOH, Digital OOH and permanent museum partnerships. Every touchpoint encouraged people to sign the WWF petition.

Social Campaign Assets

Digital OOH

Printed Manuscript

Permanent Global Museum Exhibitions

WATCH THE CINEMA SPOT

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.