Assuming that Wilson, Chuck Noland’s imaginary friend from Cast Away, were still drifting through the sea, what would it look like today? Sure, the question is hypothetical, but have you ever wondered what happens to a volleyball lost at sea or what the oceans feel like after 25 years of being suffocated by plastic? According to the Onda Azul Institute, in partnership with telecom company Vivo, and based on UNESCO’s research, Wilson would likely be floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, traveling from near Monuriki Island in the Pacific Ocean over the past two decades.
Back then, around 100.000 tons of plastic were dumped into the sea. Fast-forward to the present day, 199 million tons of plastic have accumulated in the oceans. As for Wilson, the volleyball shows some visible damage and will continue to disintegrate for the next 400 years. In a new campaign titled “The Odyssey of Wilson,” Hollywood’s most famous volleyball is making a comeback as the protagonist of an initiative that confronts plastics’ impact on the oceans just ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice (unfolding 9 – 13 June).
Imagined by Africa Creative agency, the initiative captures Wilson on a long journey through the oceans’ waters. Facing currents, tides, and climate events, the volleyball’s adventure starts in 2000 and takes over 450 years. The campaign depicts Wilson transforming over time into microplastics. Contributing to its degradation are factors such as acidification, the volleyball witnessing phenomena as ice shelf collapse, rising sea levels, or habitat loss along the way.
“This project is about making science human,” explains André Luis Esteves, Director at the Rio de Janeiro-based Onda Azul Institute. “By following the journey of 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.”
“Science alone doesn’t move people — stories do,” adds Raphael Vandystadt, VP of Sustainability at Africa Creative. “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.”
Internet users can follow Wilson on its fictional journey across the oceans via a dedicated website, where they can also learn more about the project and explore the resources that scientifically back up the experience.
CREDITS
Brand: Onda Azul Institute / Vivo / UNESCO’s research
Agency: Africa Creative
