How weird is this water conservation campaign from the EPA?
I happened upon the Environmental Protection Agency’s new “Wasting Water is Weird” campaign this week, and the only thing more surprisingly unsettling than the campaign spokesman is the thought that the EPA brought him to life.
Who’d expect this Jim Carey-meets-the-strange-dude-rocking-the-bad-hairstyle-driving-his-mom’s-Pinto-at-the-end-of-the-cul-de-sac guy coming out of the feds to help promote water conservation?
But I like the creepiness. Because when you really think about it, wasting water is pretty weird. I mean, we’d never let the tap on a beer keg run freely. But we don’t think twice about letting the water run from our kitchen faucet to answer the phone. Which liquid is going to sustain your life longer?
This campaign captures that thought in a disturbing way. Kudos to those bureaucrats that made water conservation interesting and fun.
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What do you think of the work?
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For 18 years, Park Howell has been the owner and chief storyteller of Park&Co, an advertising agency in Phoenix, AZ that exists to build movements that matter.
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August 5, 2011 at 12:41 am
A very creepy, but effective campaign. I think the ad is simple and to the point- and who doesn’t love a weird character!
June 11, 2012 at 12:34 pm
There’s lots of data in the literature to suggest that peer pressure is a big motivator to do all things green. Kudos to the creators of this campaign for pushing the right button — and taking some risks. Would be great to get any feedback about actual awareness/ behavior change it has sparked.