Beer brand Corona and eco organisation Parley for the Oceans have teamed up with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Adam Pesapane (aka Pes) to produce an animation highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution.
Timed for the run-up to Earth Day (22 April), the stop-motion short, The Fish, shows items of plastic waste washed up on a beach – including forks, Lego-style bricks and a toothbrush – coalescing into a lurid, slightly sinister plastic fish.
Pertinently, the fish's body is formed within the skeleton of a turtle. It spasms down the beach towards the ocean, gets picked up by a seagull, which attempts to swallow it whole, before being removed by a human hand.
At the end of the film, the on-screen text reads: "Marine plastic pollution harms over 800 animal species. Including us. Protect our species at Protectparadise.com."
The work is designed to demonstrate the dangers of plastic pollution to marine life and to advocate for less single-use plastics, more recycling and for people to take part in beach clean-ups. More than 100,000 marine animals and turtles are killed every year due to pollution, while 90% of seabirds have plastic in their stomachs. Eight million tonnes of plastic pollution enter the world's seas every year.
The release of the film coincides with the launch of an online portal highlighting Corona and Parley's clean-up efforts, which to date have seen the organisations conduct 519 clean-ups, with 25,000 volunteers in more than 15 countries. Users can visit protectparadise.com to find out about local pollution-clearing schemes.
Evan Ellan, brand director at Corona, said: "A lot of the work Corona has done to date are clean-ups and community engagement on the ground to protect paradise, so we can continue to enjoy it.
"This Earth Day, we wanted to leverage Corona’s influence as a global brand and connect with our consumers on this issue in a unique, unexpected way. The collaboration with Pes is a perfect tribute to Corona and Parley’s ongoing and shared commitment to tackle plastic waste that pollutes our oceans and endangers over 800 animal species."
The work was created in conjunction with Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam. The art directors were Anyaa Dev and Riccardo Rachello, and directed through Pes Film.
A video showing the making of the fish is also available on YouTube:
Pes is behind the Oscar-nominated short Fresh Guacamole, in which a "guacamole" is made using the likes of hand grenades doubling as avocados and dice as onions:
Corona is an active campaigner against plastic pollution. Last month, the brand built a plastic trash wall on Ipanema Beach.
