SOS Oceano flags up a warning
This clever print campaign for the coalition of marine conservation NGOs uses colour theory and the Brazilian flag to advocate for the protection of the ocean.
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Droga5 São Paulo today announces the second phase of its ‘Lifeless Flag’ campaign for SOS Oceano.
The first phase of the campaign, launched last year at COP30 and at Rio Ocean Week in October 2025, saw the removal of the blue and green from the Brazilian flag to demonstrate that one ecosystem cannot exist without the other.
Mirroring colour theory – that the primary colour blue is needed to create green – it reminds us that without the blue oceans, there is no green life on land. The second phase sees that concept realised through a series of unique screen-printed artworks, produced using natural mineral pigments and developed in collaboration with Black Madre Studio and Joules & Joules Laboratory.
Above: The print campaigns feature illustrations of land and marine species beautifully blended together to depict the codependency of the different ecosystems.
From the Amazon rainforest to the humpback whale, each print pairs Brazilian marine and land flora and fauna. The yellow diamond of the Brazilian flag remains the focal point of each print, highlighting the fusion of the colours removed.
Diego Limberti, Chief Design Officer at Droga5 São Paulo says: "The beginning of this project showed that design can condense a complex environmental truth into a single symbol. In this phase, the elements of the flag remain part of the campaign's visual process, but they are now reinterpreted to emphasize the animals that live in marine parks and their relationship with the forest. One biome depends on the other, and this is highlighted by the colours of Brazil's greatest symbol.”
