If you want to clean up the ocean, who better for the job than a sea sponge?
By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Paramount and Nickelodeon have launched an ocean conservation initiative called SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change.
Paramount Consumer Products will work with licensing partners to launch SpongeBob branded products that feature sustainable practices and reduced single-use plastic.
SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most widely distributed properties in Paramount International’s history. The SpongeBob SquarePants TV show was created by Stephen Hillenburg and is produced by Nickelodeon. The character-driven cartoon follows the undersea adventures of SpongeBob and his quirky friends.
“Since its debut almost 25-years ago, SpongeBob SquarePants has become globally beloved for its contagious optimism and irreverent humor, but at its core the series has always had an intrinsic connection to the sea, leading us to launch SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change to help protect the home of the very creatures that inspired Bikini Bottom,” said Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President of Global Franchise Planning at Paramount Consumer Products.
“With this initiative not only are we funding change but reinventing how we do business by creating a connected global effort around sustainability, while also being afforded the opportunity to honor the legacy of the incomparable Stephen Hillenburg, Marine Biologist and SpongeBob SquarePants creator, who was so deeply committed to preserving our oceans and marine life.”
The licensed consumer products partners launching in 2022 and early 2023 include:
AKUA:
AKUA and SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change will be teaming up in 2023 to launch a branded kelp patty that will feature reduced plastic packaging.
Conscious Step:
This company designs and sells sustainably made socks, sweatshirts and candles. A line of SpongeBob SquarePants branded apparel will launch this fall through Conscious Step, with a portion of proceeds to be donated to the ocean conservation organization, Oceana.
Munro Footwear Shoes
Launching in early 2023, Munro Shoes will roll out a SpongeBob SquarePants branded collection that uses reclaimed leather and recycled plastic-free packaging. The product line will be launching Australia-wide in all Williams and Mathers stores.
Seaesta Surf:
This sustainable beachwear brand for kids launched the Seaesta X SpongeBob collaboration earlier this summer and will be expanding the partnership and joining the SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change movement in 2023. Details will be announced at a later date.
Waterlust:
Waterlust will be launching a line of licensed Spongebob apparel featuring recycled fabrics made from post-consumer bottles. The collection will donate a portion of its proceeds to the Ocean Institute in California to support their K-12 marine science education program.
Paramount Consumer Products has also secured partnerships with several non-profit organizations through grants from the SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change Fund at the Tides Foundation.
Through these partnerships, the operation aims to help remove five million pounds of ocean plastic over the next four years through marine cleanup projects.
The non-profit launch partners for this project include:
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore:
The SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change Fund will support the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor initiative to sponsor trash collection activities in Baltimore’s waterways through 2023.
Coral Restoration Foundation:
The SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change Fund will support the efforts of the Coral Restoration Foundation to save critical coral ecosystems throughout 2023. This foundation was created in response to the wide-spread loss of the dominant coral species on Florida’s Coral Reef.
Plastic Oceans International:
This non-profit organization’s goal is to foster sustainable communities and to end plastic pollution worldwide. SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change will help fund plastic clean-up projects in Brazil, Philippines, Mexico, Cameroon and Germany.
Surfers Against Sewage:
Surfers Against Sewage is a grassroots UK-based environmental charity that campaigns to protect the ocean. The SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change Fund will support the organization’s Million Mile Clean, mobilizing over 100,000 people to clean 1 million miles of blue, green and urban spaces in the UK annually.
WORK:
This organization supports waste collectors who recycle plastic and diverts waste destined for oceans and landfills. The SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change Fund will help this organization fund responsible collection efforts in Haiti. Additionally, Paramount will collaborate with WORK to channel ocean-bound plastic material into the licensed consumer products supply chain.
In 2023, the initiative will expand to include new partnerships and products, more educational short-form content, and on-the-ground clean-ups and activations.
Paramount Consumer Products oversees all licensing and merchandising for Paramount, a global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide.