Ocean Outdoor’s environmental fund launches for 2025

Ocean Outdoor’s annual environmental fund, Drops in the Ocean, has returned for 2025 with six environmental partners granted advertising space across Ocean’s out-of-home (OOH) portfolio.

Each year, Ocean donates 2% of the UK’s reported OOH revenue in screen space to organisations associated with sustainability and the preservation of the planet for current and future generations.

All the UK environmental organisations chosen will share OOH advertising space across Ocean’s UK portfolio to promote their work and build public support.

Causes from the organisations this year include campaigning against the effects of factory farming, the human impact on wildlife and habitats, the overfishing of threatened marine species, and the exploitation of wild animals in captivity.

The six winners this year are Compassion in World Farming, Bristol Zoological Society, Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation, Born Free Foundation, Canal & River Trust, and Open Seas.

Compassion in World Farming campaigns to end factory farming by creating sustainable food systems that benefit animals, people, and the planet.

Bristol Zoological Society works in nine countries across four continents. Eighty-five percent of the animals cared for by the organisation are both threatened and part of targeted conservation programmes.

Bite-Back Shark campaigns to make Britain ‘shark fin free’ by ending the use of shark products and threatened fish species in the food industry.

Born Free Foundation is a wildlife charity which opposes the exploitation of wild animals held in captivity and works to protect their natural environments.

Canal & River Trust, which was also a 2023 Drops in the Ocean partner, is the body responsible for keeping the nation’s historic canal network open and available.

Open Seas is campaigning for sustainable shellfish and fish consumption, promoting sustainable alternatives to fishing industry practices which deplete stocks.

Two of this year’s causes – Compassion in World Farming and the Born Free Foundation, were winners of Ocean’s annual Digital Creative Competition in 2013 and 2016 respectively.

Tank Free, the campaign from Born Free that year, went on to win a Silver Cannes Lions advertising award.

Speaking of the initiative, Ocean Outdoor senior marketing manager Shona Dobson says: “If we can help improve animal welfare, show how we can all make better consumer choices, raise some money to rescue endangered species and drive awareness to help fund the conservation work of Bristol Zoo, then we will have significantly delivered on our mission.

“Our 2025 Drops in the Ocean cohort includes new partners and old friends. We look forward to bringing their campaigns to life.”