Minecraft Let Gamers Design Sculptures That Will Now Become Coral Reefs

File this one under life imitating art. Minecraft and San Francisco agency 215 McCann have partnered on an initiative to help restore the coral reefs in Mexico in conjunction with the Microsoft-owned game's Update Aquatic, an expansion that fills the "once-empty Minecraft ocean" with bustling marine life. Through the Coral Crafters project, Minecraft partnered with some of its most influential players to develop three underwater sculptures, designed in the game and then brought to life as frames then anchored to the sea floor off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Another three sculptures, including the game's iconic characters Steve and Alex, were created by the Coral Crafters team. The sculptures are specially designed to facilitate the growth of real coral with the aid of biorock—a substance, sometimes known as "seament," created by the electro-accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater. The sculptures will allow for the growth of coral colonies for "decades to come," according to an agency release. [kickout id="1"] The Minecraft influencers—Rabahrex, Logdotzip and Stacyplays—decided for themselves how to solicit input for their designs. While two of the three based their designs on audience and gamer feedback, Rabahrex enlisted students at a school in Mexico, having them compete to create the best design. The winner? A statue honoring the axolotl, a Mexican salamander. McCann and Minecraft have also partnered with The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit that farms and plants coral in the Caribbean, as well as targeting other threats to the ocean. Whenever a player builds coral or buys a custom-made pack from the organization within the game, it triggers automatic donations from Minecraft and Microsoft to the charity, according to the agency. The campaign will be featured globally in paid media, and Minecraft’s Update Aquatic will be available on Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices this summer. CREDITS: Client: Microsoft / Minecraft Taylor Smith Fergus Lynch Jessica Freeman Emily Orrson Lydia Winters Nicolette Suraga Agency: 215 McCann Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon Creative Director: Neil Bruce Copywriter: Andy Holdeman ACD / Art Director: Alper Kologlu Animators: Carson Bell Director of Integrated Production: Alex Spahr Associate Producer: Christina Chin Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney Business Director: Peter Goldstein Senior Account Executive: Sam Brody Assistant Account Executive: Robbie Kalish Director of Strategy: Brian Wakabayashi Strategy Director: Cassidy Wilber Engineering and Fabrication: Global Coral Reef Alliance President and Founder: Thomas Goreau, PhD Vice President for Design, Power & IT: Thomas Sarkisian Project Management and Coordination: Marcia Cristina Tessis Local Subcontractor: Qualti, S.A Film Production Company: Strike Anywhere Director: Michael Jacobs Line Producer: Adrienne Hall Executive Producer: Cori Cooperider Underwater Footage: The Jetlagged Hendrik S. Schmitt and Claudia Schmitt Editor: Clayton Worfolk Animator: Tom Yaniv Illustrator: Rod Hunt Telecine and Finish: Mission Film and Design Colorist: Sean Wells Flame Artist: Mark Everson Managing Director: Matt Notaro Original Music: Robot Repair Recording Studio: One Union Recording Mixer: Joaby Deahl

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Minecraft Let Gamers Design Sculptures That Will Now Become Coral Reefs

Placed off Cozumel, the creations will foster aquatic life

Alissa Fleck

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Alissa Fleck