Plastic bags can indeed be easily mistaken for food by marine animals, such as turtles that consume jellyfish or squid. A plastic bag floating in the water and a jellyfish are very difficult to tell apart. This makes plastic bags a particularly hazardous form of litter to wildlife. Some scientists even estimate that in certain species, plastic amounts to up to 10% of the animal’s body weight!

This is not the first time such visual has been used in ads. It is actually very hard to distinguish who came up with the original design first…!

Scuba Dogs association:
“Turn this into an endanged species. Keep the beaches clean” – 2003
Source : joelapompe
Agency : McCann Erickson Guaynabo (Puerto Rico)

Surfrider Foundation – 2005
“Help us keep the ocean clean”
Source : joelapompe
Agency : Young & Rubicam (France)

]]> http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2010/04/04/ad-of-the-day-17-plastic-shopping-bag-jellyfish-ads/feed/ 3 http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2010/01/04/ad-of-the-day-16-greenpeace-energy-in-germany-and-the-deathzone-ad/ http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2010/01/04/ad-of-the-day-16-greenpeace-energy-in-germany-and-the-deathzone-ad/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:12:10 +0000 admin http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/?p=992 Over the past decades, nuclear power in Germany has been high on the political agenda, with heated discussions about whether or not the technology should be phased out. More and more arguments for a “phase-out of the phase-out” have been put forward (led by Angela Merkel) due to the recent energy disputes with Russia and the increasing prices of fossil fuels…only to clash with very active anti-nuclear activists on the ground, and with Greenpeace first.

Titled “The DeathZone”, the latest commercial campaign by Greenpeace Energy in Germany [Update on Jan. 12, 2010: I have just been contacted by one of the copywriters behind the campaign. The campaign is not actually run by Greenpeace, but was part of a project led by students of the Miami Ad School Europe, in Germany] aims at raising public awareness around the issues of aging nuclear reactors and the real dangers and safety threats associated to it, by referring to the Tchernobyl disaster and the remaining 32km2 exclusion zone (here called DeathZone) around the disaster site.

In addition to the video below, the DeathZone campaign includes a series of billboards, a balloon release event, and a virtual line to be drawn through the city of Hamburg at a radius of 32km2 as a symbolic representation of the DeathZone.

[ Update on Jan. 12, 2010: A more up-to-date and 'official' video is available here, with a clear disclaimer at the end notifying that this film is the work of students of Miami Ad School Europe.]

All in all, a campaign that could very well be a missed opportunity for Greenpeace Energy to further its goals and generate effective engagement around an important and rather urgent issue. I explain:

• The message is flawed. Scare tactics are used. The video and the billboards feed the public with apocalyptic images of nuclear disasters, of doom and despair … similar to any ‘end of the world’ movie you can think about. The title of the campaign says it all: DeathZone.

• What about the future? In the video, it says that “60% of Germans oppose the change in the law (i.e. canceling the “nuclear phase-out option”), but the vast majority still uses nuclear power”. Here is a big challenge…but Greenpeace totally fails to offer any solution or viable alternative. In a pure dramatic style, the campaign maximizes the problem and minimizes the solution (which is actually non-existent).

• Without any positive messages or any forward looking offer, this campaign might very well leave the public helpless/hopeless. And will unlikely generate behavior change or even enhance support for the anti-nuclear cause, whether from citizens/general public … or politicians.

After 16 ads of the day…I (sadly) feel like I am repeating myself, am I ? 

Credits: Advertising Agency: Miami Ad School Europe // Art Director: Zoe Sys Vogelius // Copywriters: Duncan Munge, Amadeus Henhapl

Source: Green Advertising Blog

Via a very smart use of optical illusion, the black-and-white ads show images formed out of lots of small pandas…but when taking a closer look… it then becomes clear that WWF is doing much more than “saving the panda” types of initiatives.

• Antelope Ad

[Headline] Saving pandas is not our only mission.
[Body Copy] The combined efforts of WWF and our partners have sparked the recovery of the Tibetan Antelope Population.
Take a closer look at what we do and where you can make a difference. www.wwfchina.org

• Forest Ad

[Headline] Saving pandas is not our only mission.
[Body Copy] Over 10 million hectares of forests have been protected through our forest certification and sustainable forest management programs.
Take a closer look at what we do and where you can make a difference. www.wwfchina.org

• Water Ad

[Headline]Saving pandas is not our only mission.
[Body Copy] WWF and our partners have facilitated the reconnection of 17 lakes to the Yangtze River, infusing new life to its fragile freshwater ecosystem.
Take a closer look at what we do and where you can make a difference. www.wwfchina.org

A great advert series – as a proof of its success, one year later the ads are still running here and there!

Credits: Advertiser: WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) // Agency: BBH China / Creative Director: Johnny Tan // Head of Copy: Leo Zhang // Senior Art Director: Yinbo Ma // Senior copywriters: Carol Ong, Leo Zhang // Agency Producer: Ken Wang // Illustrator: Alt Design // Market: China // Accounts Director: Jasmine Huang // Accounts Manager: Joyce Hong // Published: June 2008.

Since its creation in 2001, Swiss-based not-for-profit organisation Act Responsible – Advertising Community Together whose goal is to “federate, promote and inspire responsible communication on sustainability, equitable development and social responsibility” – has been putting together a unique database of responsible ads (press, outdoors, TV, cinema, interactive) featuring the best work for Charities, Public service and Commercial ads focusing on environmental and social issues.

In order to raise awareness about climate change in the context of COP15, Act Responsible has created virtual exhibition showcasing a selection of the best ads created for NGOs & Institutions.

Beyond the few that were recycling the not-so effective ‘polar bears’ theme, I rediscovered / discovered some ads (see below) that are particularly creative, targeted or impactful in raising awareness / enacting positive change.

Some very cool stuff. For more, click here!

This ad is not only brutal, shocking or gore: An airplane engine humming crescendos in the background as polar bears drop out of the sky, slam to the ground and meet their (very) bloody deaths. An imagery close to the worst of the 9/11 tragedy itself,

But this ad, from a climate change communications perspective, also presents all the elements of a counter-productive strategy, which might very well end up being totally ineffective at  driving behavioral change and engagement, as Ed Gillespie, co-director of sustainable communications agency Futerra, wrote in The Guardian’s Environmental Blog:

“Certainly it’s controversial imagery will garner press interest, after all I’m writing this analytical blog for starters, and for campaigning organisations with limited budgets and only one bite at the media cherry this is crucial. However I’m still not sure it will change behaviour, the danger is that by pumping up the high octane drama of an ad, you increase the risk of viewers feeling manipulated and dismissing it as pure propaganda. Or lapsing into highly questionable failures of tact and taste in pursuit of ‘edginess’.”

In the end, again, such ad will generate some sort of buzz online & offline and perhaps will get awarded at advertising festivals, but it will not generate any positive result for Plane Stupid and the cause they defend over the longer-term.

What we call climate porn (i.e. presenting apocalyptic visions of climate change, etc…) remains mostly commercially motivated…rather than mission-driven!

To watch the ad, click here.

Credit Image: Steve Cole, Getty Images

]]> http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2009/11/25/non-ad-of-the-day-13/feed/ 0 http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2009/11/17/ad-of-the-day-13-china-environment-protection-fundations-campaign/ http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/2009/11/17/ad-of-the-day-13-china-environment-protection-fundations-campaign/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:01:09 +0000 admin http://www.sustainabilityconversations.com/?p=833 Thanks at CELB for finally putting a name (and links) on a great advertising campaign aiming at increasing public awareness about environmental pollution that caught my attention several months ago in Shanghai’s metro stations.

The adverts titled “Shan Shui Environmental Art” were developed by JWT Shanghai advertising agency for China Environment Protection Foundation (CEPF) and released in March 2009.

The concept is fairly simple (some might say it is a cliché), but I think it is pretty effective: from away, the three print advertisements – Global Warming, Industrial Pollution and Automotive Pollution – look like traditional Chinese ink paintings with mountains and rivers landscapes (referring to the art style called Shan Shui). But when getting closer, the mountains and rivers are actually made of cars, power-line towers and pollution … therefore showing the impact of human activities and economic development on the environment.

The ad posters were placed in high visibility areas and in subway stations in Shanghai, along with an animated film version played in Shanghai’s metro hub, People Square Station, definitely catching the attention of the 1.5 million passengers that go through Shanghai metro stations everyday.

The three paintings were created by well known Chinese landscape artist Yong Liang Yang (click here to enlarge pictures):

• #1: Automative Pollution

• #2: Global Warming

• #3: Industrial Pollution

Well … as the communications disciplines are converging today, I believe it is important to being ‘less territorial”, but instead being open to learn more from advertising and marketing, including  insights that can be extremely useful for Sustainability and CSR communications campaigns.

Here’s is what I learn from marketing and advertising, and why:

1/. Creativity & Ideas

Creativity is by far the reason #1 why I am always looking at the latest PSAs or non-commercial ads available online, such as these ones here, as they smartly leverage cultural references, social trends and emotions to get their messages and big ideas across. Needless to say that in order to cut through the clutter, creativity is a MUST for sustainability/CSR communications, as 1)  the average consumer sees more than 3,000 messages a day, and 2) audiences like to be entertained, not pitched!

2/. Research & measurement for ROI

For many in the PR field, and especially in digital/social media communications, ROI measurement is a ‘holy grail’, and here, marketing has a lot to offer with an extensive set of research approaches (pre- and post-campaigns), measurement metrics and objectives. It particularly makes a lot of sense when it comes to CSR & Sustainability communications as  the budgets for such programs are often cut due to budget constraints and doubts over their capacity to achieve business objectives.

3/. Messaging and target audiences

Finally, as the success of any communication campaign always depends on the right definition of target audiences/key stakeholders and  messages, marketing research and studies are a gold mine of insights about people’s perceptions and related-behaviors for all things sustainable in an always changing environment.

Do you see anything else that PR & Sustainability Communications consultants can learn from advertising and marketing?

Or vice-versa?

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