Campaign SpotlightPress Release

Wilson’s 450 year odyssey: A castaway volleyball returns as ocean hero in awareness campaign

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – In a poignant reimagining of a beloved pop culture icon, Wilson, the volleyball immortalized in Cast Away returns to the spotlight. This time, he’s not a stranded companion but a vessel for truth, carrying with him 450 years of oceanic grief. Powered by real time data, cutting edge tech and purpose-driven creativity, The Odyssey of Wilson surfaces as a visually stunning, emotionally resonant campaign aimed at tackling one of the most urgent challenges of our time: ocean plastic pollution.

The campaign, crafted by the Onda Azul Institute in collaboration with tech giant Vivo and UNESCO, brings a new role to Wilson—one that charts the slow, devastating journey of plastic through the world’s oceans. It’s a story written not by screenwriters, but by currents, tides, and climate science.

Launched as a creative prelude to the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, The Odyssey of Wilson is a data-driven storytelling experience that transforms sobering science into something deeply human. Using real oceanographic data, the initiative maps Wilson’s fictional 450-year journey from buoyant castaway to fragmented microplastic while visualizing decades of oceanic change: acidification, melting ice shelves, rising sea levels and biodiversity collapse.

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“This project is about making science human,” says André Luis Esteves, Director at the Onda Azul Institute. “By following the journeyof a simple object, we illustrate decades of invisible damage caused by plastic waste — and why it urgently needs global attention. With Vivo and inspired by UNESCO’s scientific leadership, we’ve transformed data into a story people can feel.”

Creative development was led by award-winning agency Africa Creative, known for bold storytelling and purpose-driven campaigns. The integrated effort includes an immersive digital platform to explore the journey, a short film, public installations in coastal cities, and live activations during major sports broadcasts.

“Science alone doesn’t move people — stories do. By turning complex data into a powerful visual journey, we help make the invisible visible. Communication plays a strategic role in mobilizing collective action for our oceans ahead of the UN Ocean Conference.”, says Raphael Vandystadt, VP of Sustainability at Africa Creative.

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For more on The 450-Year Odyssey and to experience the journey firsthand, visit: 450yearsatsea.com

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