Creative agency McCann has partnered with the University of Derby (UoD) and sun care brand Stream2Sea to launch the Reef Protection Factor (RPF) certification.
The work was designed to address concerns about chemical pollution in sun creams, which aids the decline of marine ecosystems such as tropical coral reefs.
It will allow consumers to identify products that are safe for the oceans.
“We believe Reef Protection Factor is a game-changer,” said Jon Elsom, group executive creative director at McCann.
“We’ve been blown away by the positive reception of RPF, and Coral Care, by all of our incredible global partners. Everyone we’ve spoken to has come on board immediately, from tourist boards to eco organisations to hotel chains. It’s not often you get to work on something that can genuinely change the world.”
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To raise awareness about the certification, a series of activations have been launched in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
An exchange centre event will allow beachgoers in Krabi, southern Thailand, to swap their sunscreen for reef-safe Coral Care sunscreen.
Worapa Angkhasirisap, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand UK & Ireland said: “Coral Care and TAT share the same vision, to protect Thailand’s natural beauty. We actively encourage responsible tourism and advocating reef-safe sunscreen promotes more sustainable travel practices.
“Travellers using RPF-certified sunscreen is a simple yet effective way to minimise environmental impact and preserve the beauty of Thailand’s underwater world – it’s an amazing new product!”.
The partnership has also collaborated with Reef Check Malaysia, Marine Research Foundation, ISER Caribe in Puerto Rico and Deblue Corner Dive Centre (Malaysia).
