The Wildlife Conservation Society Wraps Fresh Fish in Urgent Message to Save the Hudson Canyon

Creative agency McKinney and The Wildlife Conservation Society are calling on the government to protect the Hudson Canyon. Located just 100 miles off the coast of NYC, the Hudson Canyon is the largest underwater canyon on the U.S. East Coast. Home to hundreds of species of wildlife like whales, cold-water coral, dolphins and sea turtles, this deep-sea ecosystem is critical for biodiversity, commercial fishing, and the regional seafood economy. Despite its vital resources, the canyon is currently unprotected and vulnerable to threats like offshore oil, gas and mineral drilling. Most New Yorkers have never heard of it, let alone realise what’s at risk.

To rally public support, The Wildlife Conservation Society and longtime pro bono agency partner McKinney are taking over NY and NJ’s local seafood markets by printing a petition directly onto custom fish wrapping paper, calling on the government to protect Hudson Canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary. With every fresh fish wrapped in the petition, every day New Yorkers can become part of the movement to preserve the canyon.

Inspired by the spirit of Old New York and real live fish caught to create the vector renderings of the final illustrations, McKinney took an analog-first approach using print to get right into the hands of the people most affected by this issue — fishmongers, seafood lovers, and everyday New Yorkers.

“To meet our target audience where they already are, we brought the petition to the fish markets,” said Omid Amidi, co-chief creative officer, McKinney. “By wrapping seafood in petition paper, we transformed ordinary everyday fish wrap into an out-of-home medium that chefs and home cooks alike cannot ignore.”

To promote signatures, McKinney has also released a gritty monologue-driven film featuring a neighbourly fisherman urging people to save the fish because “you don’t wanna bite the body of water that feeds you.” The film directs viewers to go to wcs.org/hudsoncanyon to sign the petition.