The Ocean CleanUp
Services
Every year, hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic enters the oceans, primarily from rivers. And the plastic that’s afloat within the oceans isn’t going away by itself. To effectively solve the problem, we need to both halt the trash flow from rivers, and remove legacy plastics from the oceans at the same time. The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organisation, is developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. Their aim is to put ourselves out of business once the oceans are clean.
Boyan Slat, founder of the Ocean CleanUp, required clear visual communication and a strategy to attain and maintain global engagement, attract and keep donors and partners, foster collaboration with governments and scientists, and ensure public transparency. All of this by the understanding of their mission and technological advancements. A robust communication plan helped to demonstrate impact, justify ongoing funding and support, and coordinate efforts to achieve their ambitious goal of reducing ocean plastic pollution by 90%.
Brand Identity & Strategy
The identity was developed by Friends for Brands, a strategic design agency. As communications designer on the team, I contributed to both the branding and strategy. We crafted a cohesive visual identity, from designing the logo to establishing style fundamentals for infographics and explainer videos—tailored for both the public and potential investors. To communicate Boyan Slat’s vision effectively, we created a clear and visually engaging style, making complex ideas accessible.
Structured visuals and straightforward messaging were essential in presenting the business plan of the young inventor. This approach was further reinforced through personalized updates, storytelling, community engagement, and donor retention campaigns. The communication strategy quickly gained momentum, attracting widespread support. Within a year, substantial funds were raised, and people around the world were eager to contribute.
Visual friendly style
To make complex systems easier to understand we created vectorial drawings and managable editorial layouts for posters, stickers, project patches, banners and digital media such as explainer video's, infographics, and website/interactive media kits. Basic motion principles were applied and made easily adaptable for new or other parties with which the organisation frequently collaborated, yet also kept room to be developed further as the amount of new inventions grows.
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Creative Team
Ward Nicolaas - Art Direction, Graphic Design
Joey Vermijs - Brand Director
Susanne Volder - Strategic Director
Amy Verkerke - Project Manager
Peter Verloop - Graphic Designer
Camie Roos - Communication & Design