WWF Korea raises awareness of plastic pollution with OOH campaign

Global conservation organisation WWF-Korea (World Wide Fund for Nature) and creative agency Cheil have joined forces to raise awareness about the threats plastic pollution poses to wildlife with an AI-inspired out-of-home campaign. 

Titled "Animal trash fashion", the campaign features animals such as sea turtles and seals entangled in plastic waste conveyed through a narrative often seen in fashion films. Litter is portrayed as wearable items designed by humans that are directly harming the lives of wild animals. 

The campaign uses shocking AI-generated visuals on super large outdoor screen in central location, said a spokesperson from WWF-Korea. "It aims to create a viral trigger for online sharing, particularly on social media. This powerful visual and digital strategy drives awareness and encourages action against plastic pollution."

This comes as part of WWF-Korea's ‘No plastics in nature’ initiative to reduce the production of plastics and prevent further release of plastics into nature by 2030. "Animal trash fashion" is the latest call for action to join WWF's efforts to conserve nature by reducing plastic production and consumption. 

Primarily targeting Gen Z and young millennials, the campaign strategically places its visuals in high-traffic Seoul areas such as Gwanghwamun's Hotel Koreana, added the spokesperson. "This ensures maximum exposure for office workers and tourists alike. The goal is to encourage digital capture and organic sharing, making the campaign spread widely among this digitally-savvy demographic."

The work was created using only generative AI tools to overcome limitations of featuring animal species that cannot be filmed, and to ensure no animals are harmed or tested on during the production. 

A 20m x 60m full-screen takeover was revealed on 21 July in the Gwanghwamun area, the heart of Korea's capital city, Seoul, where many government buildings and media headquarters are located.

Digital Chosun Ilbo, an online news publication in Korea, provided the out-of-home media placement, agreeing upon the campaign's purpose of promoting a cause in the public interest. The campaign will run for one month until 20 August through out-of-home and WWF-Korea-owned social channels.

"With AI, 'Animal trash fashion' depicts the dire reality of the plastic crisis, in which 79% of globally produced plastics are being thrown away. Our work will be a step toward raising public awareness on plastic pollution,” said Park Minhye, executive director of WWF-Korea. "To achieve substantial results at the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee to end plastic pollution (INC-5) taking place in Geneva this August, we need everyone's attention and involvement."

"For 'Animal trash fashion', our core ambition was to transcend traditional awareness. By leveraging AI's visual power in iconic urban spaces, we created highly shareable content. We're proud to see it sparking conversations and driving real change in public perception of plastic pollution," said Dahoon Son, account executive, Cheil Korea.

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