DDB Los Angeles recently launched a mockumentary tracking the "migration" of a plastic bag from a grocery store parking lot to the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" in the Pacific Ocean.

Filmed in the style of a nature channel documentary program and playfully titled "The Majestic Plastic Bag," the short film is narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons and charts the "lifecycle" of a plastic bag to promote awareness of plastic pollution in California and beyond.

The film was created on behalf of Heal the Bay, an environmental watchdog organization that promotes safe, clean and healthy coastal waters and was released as the California Senate prepares to vote on AB 1998, a measure that would create a uniform statewide policy for addressing all types of single-use bags.

Though lighthearted in tone, the short film hammers home the stark reality of California's plastic bag pollution situation: 19 billion bags are used every year, creating over 123,000 tons of unnecessary waste, costing taxpayers $25 million in cleanup costs a year. Less than five percent of all single-use plastic bags are recycled, with many ending up as litter and in the ocean as plastic pollution.

The film has already attracted the attention of press including the Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, New York Magazine, The Guardian in the UK, the Huffington Post, AdAge and many others. With very little to no budget, the entire project was created solely with donated time and resources - many from Heal the Bay supporters within the industry who believe in the concept and the cause.

Support AB 1998

Matt Reinhard
Executive Creative Director
DDB Los Angeles

Posted on August 25, 2010 4:58 PM | Permalink

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