Hot off the presses. I originally posted this blog about ThisIsReality.org’s new spot in there their clever campaign to reveal the truth about “clean burning coal.” Then I leaned this morning that Academy Award winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen directed the “Air freshener” spot. Pretty cool to get a couple Hollywood legends not just behind your cause, but contributing to it.
I first learned and wrote about the campaign when it launched in December. They’re doing a tremendous job of balancing humor, sarcasm, wit, and reality to expose the burning of coal for what it really is: Not Clean!
In the “What the Hell?” category, I came across a banner ad yesterday for GMC’s new Sierra Hybrid pickup truck on über green site EarthFirst.com. It wasn’t the ad placement that puzzled me, although I’m curious about the environmental site’s need for cash flow. It was the ad.
Here’s the gist of the ad:
FRAME ONE: Close-up of tree trunk in lovely forest with the words: Hug It.
ANIMATION: Tree trunk falls over as it’s cut down with the words: Or Haul It.
ANIMATION: Tree gets hauled off to reveal hero shot of GMC Sierra Hybrid truck
This banner ad raised several questions for me:
Does GMC really think its truck driving market is visiting a green website like EarthFirst.com?
Is there a substantial market for hybrid trucks with LOHAS targets? Recent studies by the Natural Marketing Institute may suggest not.
Can environmentalists and loggers party in the same bar?
Is this an inside joke between GMC and their blue collar brethren at the expense of the green consumer?
Does EarthFirst.com feature the ad banners on its homepage as an ironic twist to their message, or do they just need the money?
Which company, GMC or EarthFirst.com, is getting the last laugh?
This just seems to be a very odd partnership, and one that, in my humble opinion, furthers consumer cynicism towards green washing. I got such a big kick out of this bizarre pairing of advertiser and media that I started to do more digging on green marketing gaffs. You’ll love some of the initial stuff I found, which will be fodder for future posts. So much so, that I’ve included a new category on my blog: Green Marketing Gaffs.
What green marketing gaffs have you seen out there? Please share as I would love to post them in my new hall of shame (or is it “sham”?)
DoTheGreenThing.com is a collage of hip art, cool animations and videos, environmental quips, and tons of info on how to reduce tons of Co2.
Green Thing is a public service that inspires people to lead a greener life. With the help of brilliant videos and inspiring stories etc. from creative people and community members around the world, Green Thing focuses on seven things you can do – and enjoy doing. Join people from 193 countries doing their green things and making a difference.
Walk the Walk Pedal, run, walk, anything but drive, to get from A to B without making C.
Stay Grounded Stop flying and start taking slow modes of transportation when you can, like on vacations.
All-Consuming Everything we buy has an environmental impact, so when you consume, consume the whole thing. No waste.
Easy On The Meat The livestock industry creates more Co2 than the car industry. So go easy on the meat, because one meat eater on a bicycle creates more Co2 than a Hummer.
Human Heat Your body is equivalent to a 100 watt heater, so use it and turn down the thermostat.
Plug Out Your stereos, TVs, coffee makers and other electronics are vampires. When they’re plugged in they suck energy, even when not turned on. So unplug everything when you’re not using it.
Stick With What You Got Buy less of what you don’t really need. Surplus consumption leads to surplus Co2.
Here is another example of the fine art of environmental communications you’re going to find on the site.
DoTheGreenThing.com does a nice job of building their online community. You can join and post your story, video, podcast, etc. within their site. You, of course, can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, etc. I even liked the free PDF download of a small wall chart you can put in your home or office to remind you of the seven green things.
Have you seen other green sites that do a similar job of mixing hip multi-media art with practical green trips to engage the visitor with terrific environmental storytelling? If so, let us know.
Sean Daily is co-founder and editor-in-chief behind both sites. He and his editorial team of “green and blue gurus” supply ideas, tips, and information to help you improve the environmental sustainability of every aspect of your life:
Home energy
Green building & remodeling
Cars
Food
Waste & recycling
And now, water management & conservation
The sites offer information on how to live greener and bluer in over 200 different areas of life! You can also subscribe to Sean’s podcast, Green Talk Radio.
Please let us know green and blue websites you use abd recommend to be more sustainable by commenting below.
Have you seen the work CoolPeopleCare.org have been doing on communicating simple things you can do in five minutes to make the planet healthier? I give them an A- for terrific green marketing & messaging (They’d have an A+ if they’d update their blog more often)
Friends and co-founders, Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley, created the site to educate on and demonstrate the myriad of little, easy things we can all do to make a big overall difference. And they’ve orchestrated an equally impressive set of green communication tactics to engage the masses.
Here are just seven that caught my eye:
Daily email tips on what you can do in five minutes
Robust website that offers events and activities specific to your city (9th Annual Strong Beer Festival in Phoenix) with an area to post your own events
Links to other great green messaging causes like “A Pledge for a Song,” where you can download a free tune from Missy Higgins when you pledge to reduce your carbon usage by just two percent. See below for the 10 easy ways to do just that.
Sam and Stephen have done an excellent job of making their easy environmental tips as accessible to the public as possible. I leaned about them in a Homestyles magazine (my wife’s an interior designer), so their P.R. machine isn’t bad either. I hope they’re on the front end of a trend to make green marketing and messaging, and the environmental lifestyle tips at its core, as easy, accessible and digestible as possible for the mainstream.
Hey, they got my attention with beer and music.
Ten Quick and Easy Ways to decrease your Carbon Output this year:
Drive smarter – keep your tires properly inflated, go the speed limit, drive less and walk more!
Buy local and organic – the average American meal travels 1,500 miles from the farm to the plate. Be more conscious of where your food comes from and you can pollute less at dinner time.
Call your electric company and switch over to green power! Most utility companies offer renewable energy options for just a few dollars more a month.
Replace incandescent light bulbs w/compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long!
Save energy at home! Caulk and weather strip doorways and windows. Keep your thermostat a few degrees higher in the Summer, and a few degrees lower in the Winter. It makes a big difference!
Get shower smart. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees F to see hot water costs go down by as much as 50%!
Replace electronics and appliances with energy efficient models. Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing.
Plant a tree! Planting shade tress around your house will absorb CO2 and slash your Summer air-conditioning bills.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Recycling paper, glass and metal saves 70-90% of the energy used to produce new materials while keeping more waste out of landfills. Buy purchasing used clothes and furniture you save the environment from the effects of all of the energy that would have been used to create those same products if they were brand new!
Mount a local campaign against global warming and participate at the national, state and local level. Click here for details.
Do you have a tip to add to the list? If so, comment below and feel free to Tweet away!
