The Client
Agriculture expat turned climate-resilient expert, Matthew Perkins, knew that high carbon chemicals were washed up.

His mission: Build a kelp-based economy for a low-carbon future.

Perkins founded Macro Oceans, a California-based biotech startup that transforms 100% traceable kelp into potent marine bioactives and innovative materials—brilliantly designed for beauty and beyond. Making it easier and more profitable for companies to go from zero to net-zero.

Brand Concept
Biotech branding is notoriously same-same. Macro Oceans needed to stand out in a sea(weed) of sameness. They tapped Bartlett Brands, a creative innovation agency renowned for wave-making branding, product innovation and sustainable design, to surface their sea-to-shelf difference.

We dove into unchartered waters—combining substance and swagger to give seaweed-derived biomaterials a bold new identity powered by Big Kelp Energy.™

Visual Identity & Narrative
Seaweed? Boring.
Big Kelp Energy? Sexy.

We were intent on making waves. Macro Oceans is deliberately designed to turn the tide on ordinary with its bold, unexpected brand system—a stark contrast from the cold, dark kelp category.

From our electrifying identity to our unapologetic copy, we went for the maximum rizz—positioning Macro Oceans as an unstoppable force that combines performance, sustainability and down-for-whatever flexibility.

We went big. Then we went bigger—adding Big Kelp Energy™ to Urban Dictionary, creating an iconic Kelp mascot named “Mo” and launching a swag store.

Wow. Look at Kelp now.