The Philippines ranks third as the world’s top ocean polluter. The country also happens to be a global center for marine biodiversity, with more marine species per unit area than any other place on the planet.

To push for a strong Global Plastics Treaty set in black and white, Filipinos first needed to be made aware of just how grave the issue of plastic pollution has become.

We depicted the threats of plastic to wildlife through a series of disconcerting images by acclaimed local photographers. They showed what appeared to be lifeless animals washed ashore, rendered in haunting black and white. However, by scanning the accompanying QR codes on posters and print ads that led to an interactive microsite or watching the transformative videos on social media, these carcasses were revealed to be life-size replicas made from used plastic.

In time for Plastic-Free July 2023, Greenpeace Philippines launched the Black and White campaign, a showcase of haunting images of dead sea animals in black and white released through a series of print ads and outdoor posters.

Each copy contained a QR code to scan. This leads to a website that turns the images into full color, revealing that they are actually art installations made entirely of plastics. To make it work, we employed a combination of production design and photography. We collected plastics from the shore and segregated them via the hue of their color in grayscale. Designers meticulously sculpted the artworks to get the desired effect.

The Philippines ranks third as the world’s top ocean polluter. The country also happens to be a global center for marine biodiversity, with more marine species per unit area than any other place on the planet.

To push for a strong Global Plastics Treaty set in black and white, Filipinos first needed to be made aware of just how grave the issue of plastic pollution has become.

We depicted the threats of plastic to wildlife through a series of disconcerting

images by acclaimed local photographers. They showed what appeared to be lifeless animals washed ashore, rendered in haunting black and white. However, by scanning the accompanying QR codes on posters and print ads that led to an interactive microsite or watching the transformative videos on social media, these carcasses were revealed to be life-size replicas made from used plastic.