SmartWax
Clean Ocean Foundation Australia
Issue 54 | March 2020
Agency
McCann Melbourne
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer Pat Baron Creative Director Andrew Woodhead Creatives Guilherme Machado, Alex Newman, Moira Cotnoir Designer Rafael Martins
Production Team
Production Lagoon Collective Producer Cinnamon Darvall
Date
November 2019
Background
Climate change is making the world’s oceans more acidic, with coastal areas bearing the majority of the impact, killing reefs and threatening ecosystems.
UNESCO believes that without action now, 50% of the world’s marine life will be extinct by 2100.
Idea
Wax on a surfboard is essential for surfers.
Without it they have no grip or traction. Clean Ocean Foundation Australia developed a revolutionary surf wax formula capable of neutralising the harmful acids.
Every single surfer who uses the wax can neutralise up to 1.3m3 of water. And with over 35 million active surfers worldwide, they could rebalance over 1,000,000 swimming pools worth of acidic water each year.
Surf wax made with the SmartWax formula was used to form the faces of world leaders who deny climate change, US president Donald Trump and Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro. These were sent to the managers of the major wax producers urging them to apply the formula to their products.
Surfers were encouraged to write messages in support to the wax makers.
Results
The response was so overwhelming that one month after the launch, 70% of the global market had asked for the formula and eight international brands (such as Bells Wax, GreenFIX and Xaw) were already applying it.
Other conversations have explored the possibility of the formula being used in sunscreen, hull sealants, life jackets, dive gear, anchors, jet skis and swimwear. In the hope that we save our oceans, one wave at a time.
Our Thoughts
There are two good ideas here.
The first is the additive, whatever it is.
And bravo whoever came up with it (John Gemmill, CEO of Clean Ocean Foundation, who just happens to be a chemical engineer?) because they made it open source. In other words, no-one is trying to profiteer from the destruction of the marine world. Something else Donald Trump probably wouldn’t understand either.
The second is in making wax models of Trump and Bolsonaro.
Looks obvious now. Wouldn’t have been when the brief came in.
Wouldn’t you just love to rub your surfboard (if you have one) with Trump’s face?