Which organization ran the poll that named Mister Splashy Pants?

Greenpeace ran the poll that named Mister Splashy Pants.

The organization included the whale in its Great Whale Trail Expedition, which used satellite tracking and public awareness to draw attention to threats facing humpback whales. Greenpeace invited people to vote on a name after accepting a shortlist of 30 suggestions.

“Mister Splashy Pants” was not expected by everyone to become the winner. Reddit users and other online communities rallied behind the humorous entry, sending it from a minor contender to the clear favorite. Greenpeace extended the voting period after the surge of attention and ultimately announced the name as the winner on December 10, 2007.

The campaign became famous because the public-relations challenge worked in reverse: an organization seeking serious conservation attention had to embrace an absurd internet-selected name. Greenpeace did so, using the name in publicity and benefiting from widespread coverage. Reported voting totals gave Splashy more than 119,000 votes, with Reddit contributing over 20,000.

The poll was therefore a Greenpeace campaign, not an initiative by Reddit, Oceana, Sea Shepherd or WWF. Reddit amplified the vote but did not run it.