The ocean is a source of food, a place for recreation, and its beauty has inspired countless artists. But, it’s under threat – from over-fishing and poor fishing practices. Selfridges wanted to take a more proactive role in protecting endangered fish stocks, whilst increasing awareness of the threat within the public domain.

London agency 18 Feet conceived Project Ocean in conjunction with Selfridges. Over twenty environmental and conservation groups joined forces with the iconic retailer to celebrate the beauty of the ocean, highlight the issue of over-fishing, help us all understand the threats to the ocean and make positive choices about the right fish to buy and eat.             

Together with 18 Feet, Clusta developed a number of digital touch points for the campaign, including a dynamic website, iPhone app and interactive digital ocean, installed in the window of Selfridges on Oxford Street. A custom physics engine was built to animate the fish, which are born into the ocean each time a user makes a donation. 

The 4m x 2m interactive window was an epic combination of hardware, custom software, digital display systems and the latest ‘DisplaxTouch Foil’ technology. Users are able to engage with the ocean scene at street level, text donations and, watch their fish being born in real-time as their donation is received. 

Project Ocean has been extremely well received. The website, iPhone app and window, all contributing significantly to the volume of money donated to the campaign.

“I am thrilled about the website. The graphics are great, it's easy to use, and the fish donation home page is so much fun. I am so pleased that these two elements have worked so well. “

Alannah Weston – Creative Director, Selfridges

“This window is an enormous achievement, and has set an exciting precedent for the use of technology in future Selfridges schemes. I have been really impressed by your commitment to this project, and the consistently positive attitude you have demonstrated throughout. The outcome is a hugely successful, visually striking window, with a slick, user-friendly interactive element - well done!”

Abi Shapiro – Production Manager, Selfridges