Aquarium Conservation Partnership

Building on a successful 2017 campaign, the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (a coalition led by Monterey Bay Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, and National Aquarium) wanted to focus on single-use plastic straws in 2018. But while straws were gaining national prominence as an environmental concern, the issue was becoming politically polarized.

How could aquariums affirm the topic’s relevance, without getting caught in a partisan back-and-forth?

We navigated these concerns with a campaign built around the tagline: Your last straw is the first step.

INVITING VISITORS INTO THE CONVERSATION

We positioned straws as a meaningful entry point, but didn’t overstate the case — driving audiences to deeper actions such as petitioning restaurants, adopting reusable containers, and engaging with local civic leaders.

We were also sure to be inclusive, acknowledging that many need straws for health or accessibility reasons.

HELPFUL REMINDERS FOR ADVOCATES

We used this creative framework to tee up other actions—from local advocacy to petitioning restaurants and businesses— and an opt-in text messaging program shared regular reminders of daily actions.

hub for collective action

On the website, a pledge counter conveyed a sense of momentum and collective support, and provided the coalition with meaningful examples of public support to use when liaising with suppliers, businesses, and elected officials.

Across it all, we used bright colors, whimsical photography, and bold headlines to keep the campaign accessible and fresh.

Produced by Blue State Digital for ACP.

Creative direction: Chris Royalty
Design: Halina Mader & Andrea Falke
Copywriting: Carly Quaglio & Nathan Maggio
Web development: John Moore
Account management: Oge Maiduke & Alexa Wilcox