During a meeting with HP we learned that they were involved with The Plastiki Expedition – and we hoped very much that we’d have an opportunity to work on the initiative. After all, this is about a nautical adventure and our name is Liquid! Lucky for us, a few weeks later we got the call, and we’ve not been able to get it off our minds since. In fact, I have been personally more excited about this project than anything else I’ve done in the last 20 years….and I’m not alone – our staff thinks this is a super cool project. It is really nice to have the whole studio inspired and energized.

What is the Plastiki Expedition?
Inspired by the famed 1947 Kon-tiki expedition, The Plastiki Expedition is a journey that will cross the Pacific to create awareness about the plastic mess that is polluting our oceans. The adventure is the brainchild of David de Rothschild, a dashing, easy-going Brit who has made it his life’s ambition to bring environmental issues to the surface, and inspire people to get involved and make a difference. David (and a small crew of adventurers, scientists and creatives) will sail from San Francisco to Sydney in a journey that will take around three months. By the way….David told us that he’s not ultimately interested in villifying plastics – instead, he’d rather inspire people to think about how we use, dispose, and reuse plastics – and develop positive solutions.

Sustainability floats this boat.
The Plastiki is a boat made out of reclaimed plastic bottles. The 60 ft. Catamaran was designed in collaboration with Architecture for Humanity and it’s made of a new material: srPET – which is essentially, ground-up plastics melted down and remade into a woven fabric, similar to carbon fiber (except that it can be melted down and re-made into the material again). The boat also features 12,500 actual soda bottles that are used for buoyancy. The masts are made out of reclaimed aluminum irrigation pipes. Even the ropes are made from recycled plastics.

Cool technology on board.
On board The Plastiki one finds lots of amazing technology: Our client – HP – is the official technology partner, and has provided all of the computer equipment that will be used for navigation, communication and scientific data collection and processing. And that’s just the start: There is a bird’s eye view camera capturing the activity on deck; a trailing turbine generating energy; solar panels harvesting the sun’s rays; wind turbines generating energy through wind power; a hydroponic garden where the crew can grow some of its food; and much more. The boat is a perfect example of the cross-section of technology and sustainability.

What’s Liquid’s role?
We’ve been asked to help evolve the current site in order to create a more dynamic and more valuable experience for site visitors. We’re exploring how to include dynamically updated content that will provide updates on all sorts of data collected during the voyage. Once the boat sets sail, visitors will be able to track its progress through Google Maps; take a look through the WebCam; check out the crew’s vital stats; and potentially experience the weather conditions through an augmented reality application. We’re also thinking about tracking energy generation though the built-in solar power units and the trailing turbine…and all sorts of other geeky stuff. Additionally, we’re exploring ways to leverage social media and allow people who are interested in the Plastiki’s adventures to chat with the crew, ask David some questions, and participate in on-going dialogues about how to make a difference.

What’s next?
We’ll share the work as soon as it gets launched…and in the case of The Plastiki, launch is meant quite literally. The boat currently set to launch from San Francisco towards the end of February 2010. We’ll keep you posted. In the meanwhile check out the site: www.theplastiki.com and follow the crew’s adventures. Also, if you want to get a closer look, you may want to visit the Plastiki Mission Control at Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco (next to the Musee Mecanique) …but, most importantly, remember to do your part and think about ways to reduce the amount of plastics that you and your family use, recycle as much as you can, and do not contribute to plastic garbage!

Author: Alfredo Muccino
Category: Brands in general, Technology