WWF informs us that the ocean plastic pollution issue goes deep. So deep, that it has reached impressive depths in the planet’s waters. At about 6500 meters deep in the Pacific Ocean, in the Mariana Trench near the Philippines, a scientific team led by Dr. Alan Jamieson discovered a new species. The “shrimp-like” amphipod has approximately five centimeters and even though it is a recently discovered marine creature, researchers found an important thing about it that, sadly, mirrors humans’ way of handling plastics.

Creative agency BBDO Düsseldorf partnered with WWF Germany and researchers from the University of Newcastle in an initiative to raise awareness about the increasing plastic pollution of our planet’s oceans. The three collaborators have decided to baptize the new species after what contaminates it as a statement against the world’s plastic crisis. “We decided on the name Eurythenes plasticus as we wanted to highlight the fact that we need to take immediate action to stop the deluge of plastic waste into our oceans,” said Jamieson.

At least one truckload of plastic enters our oceans each minute. Once it reaches the water, plastic waste breaks down into microplastics, spreading throughout the ocean and affecting marine life as the creatures of the sea end up ingesting these tiny fragments. During this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday, we are reminding you of WWF’s campaign of drawing the world’s attention to this micro-problem that has a macro-impact on our planet.

Heike Vesper, Director of the Marine Programme at WWF Germany, said: “The newly discovered species Eurythenes plasticus shows us how far-reaching the consequences of our inadequate handling of plastic waste truly are. There are species living in the deepest, most remote places on Earth which have already ingested plastic before they are even known by mankind. Plastics are in the air that we breathe, in the water that we drink, and now also in animals that live far away from human civilization.”

“Finding a new species that we didn’t know was there before and finding plastic in it just shows how widespread this is as a pollutant. This new species gives a real name to people that they can connect with: The actions that I’m doing on land can impact this animal that’s living 6000m below sea level,” said Ph.D. student Johanna Weston, who was part of the research team.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was discovered in the amphipod’s body, a substance found in many everyday objects, such as water bottles or workout clothes. To put an end to marine plastic pollution, the NGO launched a petition, inviting the world to sign it and call on their governments to commit towards an international, legally binding UN agreement and stop ocean plastic pollution.

According to Vesper, not all specimens of the newly discovered species had plastic in their tiny bodies, mentioning that there is hope that other members of E. plasticus “will not live up to their name and that they will remain plastic-free.”

“Plasticus is an extraordinary idea, which impressively shows what can be done when experts from science and communications work together across disciplines”, said Andy Wyeth, ECD of BBDO Dusseldorf.

The research was supported by WWF and published in the renowned scientific journal Zootaxa. The campaign sparked a worldwide conversation in over 40 countries without any media spent. Digital assets, OOH posters, and museum installations convinced people to sign the petition. Also, a website, plasticus.school, has been created for educational purposes, hosting all the necessary resources. The assets accompanying the initiative were developed in close creative partnership with the Hamburg-based production company Sehsucht and BBDO’s own production company CraftWork.

Credits:

Client: WWF Germany

Responsible: Hanna Eberhard, Online Campaigner

Agency: BBDO Düsseldorf

Chief Creative Officer: Till Diestel (BBDO Group Germany)

Creative Managing Director: Kristoffer Heilemann

Executive Creative Director/Script: Andy Wyeth

Senior Art Director: Bernd Rose

Art Director: Marco Serra, Rosario Brancato

Senior Copywriter: Christian Korntheuer

Copywriter: Marcos Alves

Creative Technologist: Martin Böing-Messing

Production Director: Kat Wyeth

Planning Director: Benjamin Pleissner

Strategic Planner: Kyle Duckitt

Chief Production Officer: Steffen Gentis (BBDO Group Germany)

Production Company: Sehsucht GmbH

Producer Film Production: Stephanie Hülsmann

Post-Production Company: CraftWork

Music/Sound Design/Composer: Alex Komlew

Audio Production House: Studio Funk

Sprecher: Dr. Alan Jamieson

Director: Niklas Lemburg

DOP: Alexander Link

Editor: Juhn Kim

Animation: Mathias Boyungs

Media Agency: Hearts & Science Germany

Influencer Agency: Intermate Media

Paid Social: Facebook Germany

Social Analytics & Monitoring: OMG Fuse, Düsseldorf

PR Agency: Wildstyle Networks