Building on the success of our “For A Strawless Ocean” campaign, on track to remove ~15 billion straws from circulation, our goals for “Question How You Hydrate” and the Museum of Plastic are to shift consumer behavior and global supply chains toward more sustainable alternatives. 500 billion single-use plastic bottles are used around the globe annually and are among the top five items found in beach cleanups.

Museum objectives:

– Awaken the imagination and build a cross-generational community devoted to reducing plastic by integrating digital dialogue into real-life experiences. The Museum also created space for individuals to linger and learn, to share and commit, to dream and learn.

— Engage Millennials, who care about a plastic-free ocean.

— Demonstrate what’s possible by partnering with the gatekeepers of the plastic industry, corporate leaders, and create change in the marketplace in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, Life Below Water.

The Museum opened in NYC during World Oceans Week, welcoming 10,000+ visitors over six days, and again during Miami’s Art Basel, earning 21M+ social impressions with notable appearances from Diplo, Adriana Lima and Heron Preston. The Museum prompted visitors to “Question How You Hydrate” and told the origin story of the plastic water bottle, providing context to the environmentally detrimental product which was only introduced to the mass market in 1990.

Interactive exhibitions included a coral lounge, showcasing reefs’ plastic sensitivity; an installation illustrating an ocean filled with plastic vs. one vibrant with life; and information outlining sustainable alternatives like reusables or aluminum.

When entering, visitors are greeted with a Plastic Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Jason Momoa, Zooey Deschanel, Vic Mensa, Aidan Gallagher, etc. sharing why they are no longer using plastic water bottles. As visitors left the Museum, they joined the #HydrateLike movement, pledging to no longer use them.

The activation’s short-term goal was to educate and encourage its core target audience, Millennials, to reach for alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles. In-depth research found that Millennial mothers tend to use single-use plastic bottles the most. So by collaborating with influential moms such as Zooey Deschanel and Rachael Leigh Cook, the Museum and its Question How You Hydrate campaign reached Millennial and Gen Z markets, giving them the opportunity to come out to the museum and participate in its social media challenge.

We also defined success as working with nonprofit organizations as implementers and amplifiers. Believing that no one can (nor should) do this work alone, we collaborated with more than 45 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to reach people in 50+ countries, and one NGO encouraged legislators from 10 U.S. states to demonstrate their support. The campaign also worked with youth changemakers and corporations as brand collaborators.

Coordinating with the global environmental community, the Museum first opened in New York during World Oceans Week. The gallery took up an entire NYC block and popped up for one week only, building excitement and driving visitors. The Museum also popped up during Miami Art Week, marrying creativity and conservation, where sustainability otherwise was not a dominating theme.

Both executions showcased similar works at different scales, including:

— ocean bound plastic LED screens illustrating an ocean filled with plastic vs. one vibrant with life.

— Curated artistic exhibits made with plastic alternatives like household cups or reusables, aiming to highlight the effects of plastic pollution.

— A gigantic receipt detailing how the $200 billion that makes up the water bottle industry could better be spent, be it stopping rainforest deforestation or enjoying 50,000 private Beyonce shows.

—Attracted ~10,000 visitors in NYC with an appearance by the 73rd President of the United Nations General Assembly. The second opening featured designer Heron Preston and Mayor of Miami Beach.

—Achieved 30% conversion on call-to-action by individual and group visitors committing to #HydrateLike future generations matter and share their pledges online.

—Saw 365M+ media impressions.

—Served as a catalyst for Facebook, United Nations Headquarters, 2019 Global Citizen Festival, and the San Francisco International Airport to ban plastic water bottles.

—Led to ongoing discussions with Carnival Corporation to eliminate plastic water bottles, reaching 50%+ of cruise passengers globally.

—Worked alongside the makers of Vita Coco to launch sustainable aluminium-canned water brand Ever & Ever for national distribution. Caught the attention of Pepsi and Coca-Cola, which subsequently announced plans to switch from plastic to aluminum for Aquafina and Dasani. Ever & Ever has achieved 210%+ sales growth.