Plastic Replaces Fish in Greenpeace's Sobering Aquarium of the Future

Schoolchildren eagerly anticipating otters, octopus and penguins on a visit to a new 'aquarium of the future' were shocked when they didn't see a single fish.

Instead, the tanks at Dingle aquarium in the Republic of Ireland were filled with some rather less awe-inspiring 'exhibits': billowing bags, bobbing bottles and floating netting.

A sobering reminder that our oceans are filling up with plastic at an alarming rate, the exhibition - along with the kids' bemused and disappointed reactions - was captured on film as part of Greenpeace's new global campaign, which urges the public and supermarkets throughout the UK to limit the use of plastic packaging.

The concept for the campaign, created by Ogilvy UK, was based on the shocking statistic that a truckload of plastic gets dumped into the ocean every hour. Since plastic takes years to decompose, almost every piece of plastic ever manufactured is still in existence somewhere on the planet – and plastic waste is set to double in the next decade if nothing is done. Rather than show the waste in its normal habitat, the creative team wanted to bring the damaging, ugly reality of plastic waste to somewhere unexpected: a usually pristine aquarium.

In a further shocking twist, the rubbish featured in the film was collected the day before the shoot from the local beach at Dingle, near the aquarium. It highlights the fact that UK supermarkets generate 800,000 tonnes of plastic packaging every year – making these businesses integral to leading the way in making a real different to how we produce and handle plastic.

The film - which will run in cinemas, online and on social media - closes with a call to sign a petition to reduce supermarkets' plastic footprint, and will be accompanied by a series of digital OOH activations.

“We’re extremely proud to be partnering with Greenpeace to tackle what is a hugely pressing issue," says Mick Mahoney, CCO, Ogilvy London. "Aquariums are often viewed as perfect, manicured worlds which give us a false sense of security when it comes to the state of our ocean - What we wanted to bring to life was the reality of what the future looks like if we continue as we are today. The support we’ve had to bring this idea to life has been incredible.”