CHASE – From Rubbish to Remarkable
Turning Plastic Waste into Art for Plastic Free July
The completed 2023 heart design, looping with a “beating” effect.
CHASE
CHASE is a specialist recruitment firm working across the UK life sciences sector, from pharmaceuticals and MedTech to biotech and healthcare. Every year they proudly support Plastic Free July, raising awareness of plastic pollution and inspiring action.
The Brief
In 2023, CHASE wanted to go beyond a simple post or logo badge. They wanted something creative, visual and fun that their team could take part in. The idea needed to engage their staff, make a strong environmental statement, and be versatile enough for social media and email campaigns.
Creative Direction
I suggested an idea built on two things: real plastic waste and animation magic.
We asked the CHASE team to collect their recyclable plastic waste for one month. They then photographed it top-down on a plain, dark background. The twist? I would digitally cut out every item and animate them, stop-motion style, into the shape of a heart.
The heart was chosen to say two things at once, CHASE cares for the planet, and their work in life sciences is all about improving lives.
The CHASE team’s month of recyclable plastic waste, ready to be turned into something extraordinary.
Frame by frame sequence of plastic swirling into a heart shape for Plastic Free July 2023.
Creative Execution
Every piece of plastic was carefully edited and isolated. I arranged them frame by frame so they appeared to swirl into the frame, forming a heart. The final touch was to loop the last frames so the heart “beat” – a simple effect that brought it to life.
The result was a short animation that worked equally well as a video or still image.
In 2024, CHASE came back for a sequel. This time we swapped the heart for the official Plastic Free July turtle icon, set against an ocean-blue background. The final frames showed the turtle swimming gracefully out of view – a playful nod to the cause.
Impact
CHASE loved the animations. They were visually striking, involved the whole team, and created a talking point online. The stills gave them strong, branded images for their feeds, and the videos added movement and personality.
Most importantly, they helped CHASE show their environmental commitment in a way that was fun, shareable and true to their brand.
