No Country for Clean Coal

Here's a good one to share: A new "PSA" directed by acclaimed filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (of Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou and No Country for Old Men fame). It's the latest in a series of clever :30 commercials produced by ThisIsReality.org to debunk the myth of clean coal technology. It was produced in partnership with Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection.




Now, part of the Obama Administration's investment in green energy includes "clean coal." If you wondered what Al says about it, look no further than Current TV:

The Trop Debate: Really?

Recently we posted on Tropicana's new packaging and sustainability messaging. Tropicana, and its parent company Pepsico, have finally started looking at the carbon impact of its supply chain in earnest; as well as launched a new rainforest protection program.

Our post (as always) was intended to highlight a movement by a major brand and spark some debate. And there indeed was debate about the new Tropicana. But not about the relative merit of a sustainability program, or the value of transparency, but about the look of the new carton.

If you haven't followed the story, here's an article from the New York Times (yes, really!). In short, outraged consumers flooded the social media sites, fueled the press and forced Tropicana to return to the old carton. As a marketer, I'm reminded that brands aren't really owned by companies anymore: they belong to the consumer. As a Sustainability marketer, I'm reminded how emotional (and uneasy) people are about change, and how we more often look backward than forward.

So now I have a new gold standard to compare our sustainability communications efforts: a carton of juice. If people care as much about what's in the carton (or how the carton got to the store in the first place) as what's printed on the outside, we all win.

Rage on!

UN Partners with Madison Avenue

We've all heard of Kyoto: the climate change treaty the US famously didn't ratify in 1997. The follow-up to Kyoto will take place in Copenhagen in December 2009, and this time the UN isn't taking any chances. It has enlisted the expertise of the global advertising community to help ensure a successful outcome at the end of next year and Ogilvy's The Greenery is leading the charge.

During AdWeek 2008, coincidentally the week the UN Assembly was in session in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with representatives from the world’s largest advertising groups: WPP, Publicis, Interpublic, Omnicom, MDC Partners, Euro RSCG, TBWA, UniWorld and Deutsch, to enlist their help. This meeting was the product of an idea conceived by the International Advertising Association to form a committee of the most influential communications leaders to partner with the UN to create a global campaign to help the UN meet its goals.

UN PRESS RELEASE

On behalf of WPP, Ogilvy's The Greenery is helping to drive the initiative with the IAA and the UN to carve out a very specific role for communications in the global effort and to develop a strategy by which to realize its goals.

The challenge is both daunting and exciting. But we are up for this challenge and excited to be part of such an amazing effort of global cooperation.

Today, marks one year to the 2009 Copenhagen meeting next December. The leaders of the G8 are meeting this week in Poland, a precursor to next year's meeting, in an attempt to set targets for global carbon emissions. As noted in the morning's press, some of the world's most renowned green NGOs are making their presence known at this summit in an attempt to apply pressure to the delegates and instil a sense of urgency and responsibility.

It's clear that there is already a lot of passion behind this issue. We are pleased to see such grand efforts by NGO's to help swing the votes and we look forward to joining their efforts to positively affect the climate change discussions.

Franklin, Farmers and the Back Nine: The Lore of DST.

Tomorrow in most states in the U.S. and in many countries around the world, we set our clocks back an hour. Daylight Savings Time is over, the dark commute home is upon us.

DST is said to help farmers (it doesn't), boost the economy (it does help retailers a bit), and promote better health (no evidence, although it does seem to make us feel good).

It is said to have been the idea of Benjamin "Early to Bed, Early to Rise" Franklin (nope). It was William Willett, the English builder and outdoorsman, who first proposed DST in 1905. He noticed many Londoners were oversleeping in the summer. But more importantly (he thought), as an avid golfer, he was frustrated when the sun would set before he could finish 18 holes. Now that's motivation. But few others got behind such a change.

It was WWI that finally got many countries—and the U.S.—to approve daylight savings time. Why? It was thought to reduce the demand for coal, during times of shortages. And it did. It was a sustainability initiative: find a wide-reaching way to reduce the need for scarce resources without harming the ability of society and the economy to prosper.

It took heavy marketing to get and keep it passed. Convincing farmers it would help them, getting corporations to lobby for it (Clorox and 7-Eleven ran major efforts to re-confirm DST in the 80's). And while it no longer provides much benefit, as energy consumption patters have changed, it has become the new normal.

So let's use the extra hour this year to think harder. Or play golf. Maybe another Willett is out there on the back nine.

When Censoring is Good

You may have heard the reports that ABC recently refused to air a television commercial from the Al Gore-led WE Campaign. It's strong stuff-- pointing fingers directly at the oil companies. And oil companies are steady advertisers on ABC and others. (Full disclosure: BP is our client, in case you didn't already know.)



Decide for yourself. If you want to enter the conversation, go visit wecansolveit.org

But a lesson learned from another Ogilvy client -- Dove -- comes to mind. Last year, after the successful "Campaign for Real Beauty," Dove launched a campaign that asked why "anti-aging" was used as a selling point for beauty products. What the heck is wrong with "age"? Real woman of all ages were celebrated in the "Pro Age" television ad. And it was banned by network TV for being inappropriate:



Horrified by censorship? Well, sure. But the networks helped make the point that no :30 TV spot every could-- that there is a cultural age bias that is unjust to women and unacceptable to support. And, it allowed us to tempt people to come see "the ad the networks wouldn't air." Game, set, match. The insight was made, Dove's genuine championing of real beauty re-enforced.

My guess, WE is smiling at ABC's unintentional boost to their PR efforts. Now it's a news story. Now people are outraged. Now bloggers everywhere are writing about it and sharing the commercial and their website. Now, oh, right....

Darn! Those clever folks got me.

Dear Mr. President

Last week Professor Steve Rayner of acclaimed Oxford University posted an op-ed letter on Wired.com to our future President.

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/magazine/16-10/sl_rayner/

His POV is that the future is now: It's time for the US to stand up and take charge in the battle against climate change.

As Professor Rayner points out, once the US puts it full weight behind something (WWI & WWII), changes happen and they happen fast.

With lots of talk about "Change" these days, we trust the candidates are listening.

The United Nations and Divided Agencies

Earlier this week, along with several others from the advertising industry, I was called to the United Nations to meet with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Michael Lee with the International Advertising Association brokered the meeting.

AD WEEK: "IAA, UN Officials Meet on Climate Change"

Ban has made Climate Change a UN priority, leading up to Copenhagen in 2009 where the world community hopes to forge the “next Kyoto Protocol.” But he needs help. What can a bunch of advertising suits do to help? Ban thinks we can persuade policy makers, corporations and citizens to align around a common goal. And indeed, communications is a powerful tool.

I, for one, am on board. I've maintained that strategic communications can play an important role in creating prosperity for all. It keeps me pushing harder, not settling for lame ads, and gets me out of bed each morning.

Yes, I hear the snicker. And I get that asking a bunch of ad guys to collaborate is a bit like the fox and the hen house. Our industry is not known for coming together for a bigger cause. Or really for anything. Thank goodness the Ad Council has a seat at this table.

But maybe this is the time. This cause is our cause. This project proves prosperity for one is prosperity for all. Maybe.

I, for one, am on board.

Facebook Energy

I spent too much time on Facebook this weekend. Who's doing what? Following the debate on the debate... the usual stuff.

But it seemed the chatter on Facebook was higher than usual. Was there bad weather this weekend? Are people actually taking ABC's "National Stay at Home Week" to heart and watching the latest (un)reality TV shows? ABC even suggest this is good for the environment and the economy: Stay home, save gas.




Hmmm. Maybe they hit on something. Here are a few comments on Facebook from my usually "on-the-go" friends:

"Pretty crazy. There is some gas to be found, but the wait has been long. Yesterday I went to 5 stations close to my house and none had gas. Luckily the one I went to today had people directing traffic in and out and they were doing a good job moving people through. People are running out of gas looking for gas!"

"Melissa is staying at home because there is no gas!"

"Jackie is stranded at home this weekend with a quarter of a tank of gas and tapped out gas stations in Atlanta."

"I hear that...I had actual PLANS tonight...have to choose...social, tennis match tomorrow, work next week? Still up for debate."


Now there are lots of insights I could offer, all of which are immediately apparent: The power of social networks like Facebook to make problems instantly shared and global. The psychological impact of perceived shortages (think bread line references all week by the candidates). The lack of back-ups to automobiles in fast-growing "modern" cities like Charlotte and Atlanta, which have woeful public transportation systems. How marketing ideas like ABC's always benefit from good (or bad) timing.

For now, I leave you only with the image below and the reminder that we can't wait another thirty years to address the same issue.

The Greenery Lab™ - Part 1

At The Greenery, we believe that collaboration is the key to making sustainability a reality. That's why we've been working to build a network of sustainability experts, thought leaders and provocateurs who can help us get to original, breakthrough and most importantly credible ideas for our clients. These are not your mother's environmentalists; we like to think of them as the 'new breed' of sustainability thinkers, who share with us the belief that if the corporation is the dominant institution of the 21st century, it is also the greatest potential agent for positive change.

The people we are lucky enough to count in our network include David Barber of Blue Hill, John Grant, author of The Green Marketing Manifesto, Callum Grieve of The Climate Group, Ben Goldhirsh, founder of GOOD magazine, Jonathan Greenblatt, founder of Ethos Water and CEO of GOOD Inc, Mike Saltzberg, Director of Renewable Materials at DuPont, Shari Aaron, CEO of Fresh Marketing, Marc Alt, President of Marc Alt + Partners, Rick Field, founder of Rick's Picks, Jennifer McDonnell, an independent environmental consultant and host of Planet Diaries, a web-video series on eco-innovations, and Tamara Giltsoff and Rachel Simmons of OZOlab. This is a hugely energetic and inspiring group breaking new ground in the race to a sustainable future, and we plan to showcase some of their ideas and opinions going forward.

To give you an idea of the type of work they're doing, we direct you to OZOlife, a new daily guide to stylish green living from our partners at OZOlab, the people who also brought you OZOcar (and have some great new ideas up their sleeves, more at OZOlab.com). Of course, there's an ulterior motive here: besides giving you an excuse to spend a half hour gathering some great tips, we also offer up the chance to learn a little more about the Greenery's own Freya Williams, interviewed in this week's People section.

Spread the word....And check back over the coming days to learn more about our other Lab partners and their projects.

Latest in Eco-Chic

We love to see small business embrace sustainability. Because as much impact as the Fortune 500's have, small businesses— from tech start ups to the dry cleaner around the corner— is where change happens fastest.

So while on vacation on Nantucket, I was excited to watch an eco-business taking off. It's one-part vacation activity, one-part sustainable product line and one-part eco-branding. Confused?

Meet Cheryl Fudge. Cheryl's background is in fashion design. After leaving Manhattan's runways for ACK (Nantucket's airport code), she started a company that salvages unique vintage clothing, patches, upholstery material and hip T-shirts, all with a local Nantucket connection (think whale prints and "Nantucket Reds"). She then turns them into fashionable, one-of-a-kind clothes. Everything from jeans to a formal gown made from drapes found in one of Nantucket's oldest Captain's Houses. No new materials, no waste. The poster-child for reuse, recycle. She also has a "Fashion Camp" where island visitors design their own wearable art, which Cheryl's staff then sews overnight. She's booked solid during the "high season."

But it doesn't stop there. Cheryl and partner Hays Westbrook, have trademarked the term "ACK Green" (I wasn't just sharing the airport code to be clever) and created a robust line of products under the brand. Water bottles, T-shirts, stickers, patches, etc. Everything is produced with sustainability in mind, and the brand has become an instant hit with islanders and tourists alike.

It goes to show that movements can be branded. And they can start small and local. After all, (Red) had mixed results, but ACK Green has something (Red) didn't— the big dreams of a small business entrepreneur.

CherylFudge.com

The Sport of Sustainability

Few things in life bring people together like sporting events. And recently, sustainability has been getting into the game. The Olympics, U.S. Open Tennis. Even the sport of politics, with the Democratic Convention. Sports teams and events are getting greener.

One of the first—and best known—is the Philadelphia Eagles. Its stadium is the benchmark for green arenas, with sophisticated energy and waste reduction systems. The NFL team has also made it their mission, adopting a forest to off-set the inevitable carbon emitted by flying around big guys on big planes for every Sunday.

Of course, even the Eagles can get, um, a bit carried away....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paige-donner/greening-hollywood-nfl-ea_b_115138.html

Here's what a few others are doing:

Major League Baseball. MLB partnered with the NRDC to launch the "Team Greening Program" which promote sustainability across all of the teams. This season, you can expect to see robust recycling programs at the stadiums, solar-powered scoreboards, as well as material and information in the stadiums to encourage fans to go green.

http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080317.asp

Motorsport Racing. Even the worst of the gas-guzzlers have caught on to the green movement, as race cars like the Corvette Z06 E85 (as in Ethanol E85). In the 2009 Dakar Rally, keep a look out for the Kenya Kwanza team of Glen Edmunds, who will be running a sustainable bio-diesel to raise awareness of climate change.

http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/4965

New Jersey Nets. A slam dunk-- the Nets are way ahead in the green game. They are the first carbon-neutral team in the NBA. Our favorite part of the site, check out the video on the right hand side. It features one of the official team dancers shares the Nets visions with fans.

http://netsgogreen.com/

Shea Stadium. And in our hometown, New York's new stadium is going green.

http://www.observer.com/2008/new-shea-stadium-goes-green-what-does-it-mean

With tens of thousands of people attending these events every day, the impact is substantial. Of course, getting to the new "green stadiums" is usually the least sustainable part of the event.

Disposable vs. Reusable Debate

Take a look at the below photos... notice a commonality? (Besides Barack Obama, of course.)

The bottled water.

Over a year ago, The Greenery championed the switch from disposable plastic water bottles to reusable aluminum "SIGGs." It not only saves the environment, but also money.

For Obama, there exisit a leadership opportunity to set an example. Walk the talk. Get rid of the disposable plastic bottles, or at least switch to one of the "eco-friendly" versions. This simple visual could be big-- remember the power of Lance Armstrong and his yellow Livestrong bracelets? They were the hottest item out there. And actually raised a lot of money for cancer research.

Over 38 million plastic bottles are sent to the US landfills each year and it takes 700 years for that plastic to start decomposing. Switching to reusable is an easy and cheap way to make a difference. A bit less convenient perhaps for a campaign on the move, but I'd bet there is a volunteer ready for a promotion.

And for the record, the Obama campaign sells Obama-branded reusable bottles. Maybe Barack can get a discount....

Happy (Green) Labor Day!

With the holiday weekend here, we hope your plans are already in motion. But in case you are a last minute planner, or up for some challenges, here are are three simple things to think about as you head into the weekend.

> Travel responsibly - We're not talking about drinking and driving (but PLEASE don't do that). But maybe not driving at all. Try a carpool. Or even better, public transportation. Labor Day weekend is notorious for its traffic jams, so ditch the car and enjoy more of summer's last moments.

> Eco-Grilling - Livestock is responsible for nearly 20% of greenhouse emissions. Why not try switching to chicken or fish this weekend? Or better yet, try vegetarian for one meal. And no matter what you cook, buy local food whenever possible. Not only is it better for the environment, but it tastes better too!

> Sun Power - With summer winding down, take full advantage of the final days of warm weather and direct sunlight. Instead of using a dryer for clothes, why not use the sun? Not only will you save energy, but it also helps your clothes last longer.

There are plenty of other tips out there. Find a few that work for you. Don't be afraid to try something new, you might be surprised at how easy it is. And, remember, it's a start.

Game. Set. Match.

On Monday, we took a field trip to the opening games of the 2008 US Open Tennis Tournament. Purely for business, of course. (That James Blake-- fresh off his Olympic effort in Beijing-- was playing Center Court was purely coincidental.) We went to see what the USTA was up to on the green front.

After all, the press release looked promising:

> Recycling program from Evian
> Renewable energy
> Lexus Hybrid vehicles for 20% of the transportation fleet
> Recycling of tennis ball cans and the donation of thousands of used tennis balls
> Reduction in the number of servers used
> Organic souvenir clothing
> PSAs on the video boards
> Wallet cards featuring "eco tips" from the NRDC

Needless to say, we were quite excited to see all the green action in motion. But it was awfully hard to find. Recycling program from Evian, CHECK.

These babies were everywhere. Good for you (and us) USTA.

The rest of the list remained behind the scenes. No literature or signage. No wallet cards featuring eco-tips and no PSA's focused on sustainability. Blast!

Perhaps it was just the first day, or we hit it on an off night. But to us, it felt like a double fault. Let's hope an opportunity isn't lost here. Last year, more than 700-thousand attended the two-week event.

So if you happen to go, try the foot-long hot dogs, see if you can spot Paula Abdul from across the stadium (hint: her trademark clapping is a dead give-away), and by all means, track down your wallet card.

What's Blowing in the Wind?

You may have seen the recent advertising campaign from Vestas, the U.S. wind energy company. The $100 MM "No. 1 in Modern Energy" campaign is running largely in consumer media. The message "America has some of the world's most abundant wind resources, and Vestas is here to help harness them" is certainly timely and welcomed.

But why would Vestas bother talking to consumers? That's what Dow Jones asked, too. The answer is simple: Things are not always what they seem.

As we told Dow Jones Newswire, "Consumers aren't going to run out and buy wind turbines, but they do influence government and politicians. If politicians feel that constituents support alternative energies like this, they're more likely to support legislation that allows these technologies to grow more quickly."

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200808251045DOWJONESDJONLINE000270_FORTUNE5.htm

To read the article, just follow the link. To follow the progress of this campaign, just read this blog. More in the coming weeks.

Greensburg

Do yourself a favor this Sunday and check out Planet Green's top TV series,“Greensburg.” It's a story we are very passionate about. A story about resilience, about community and about hope. It's the story of the small, rural town of Greensburg, Kansas, completely destroyed by the largest-ever tornado in the U.S. And of the townspeople who decided to rebuild not as it was, but as it should be. The new Greensburg will be the first LEED-certified city in the U.S.

The Greenery has a stake in this. We are committing our time and effort to help Greensburg market the value of its story—to bring in new industry and serve as a model community.

We also are joined by some of our clients, like DuPont, which is supplying the green building materials to help bring Greensburg back to life. In a media program as innovative as DuPont science, advertising, entertainment and corporate responsibility all come together in perfect harmony. Greensburg gets the help it needs. DuPont gets to showcase how "Open Science" can address some of the world's biggest problems. Everybody wins.

You've heard us talk about the power of collaboration. Here's what happens when it's put in practice. Collaboration between Ogilvy, Planet Green and documentary producer Pilgrim Films, made the marketing opportunity a reality. Collaboration between Greensburg and companies like DuPont, make dreams a reality.

So check it out. Help if you can. And let people know that with vision and collaboration, addressing issues like climate change and energy dependency are only a matter of will.

The Closing Ceremony

So it's over. The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics has run its last race, pummeled its last horse, awarded its last dozen or so gold medals to Michael Phelps.

And it was a good one. Two weeks of non-stop Olympic coverage (NBC had more air coverage then hours in a day thanks to all of their networks). Recording breaking ratings -- over 34MM viewers during prime time coverage. Some pretty amazing stories told.

Throughout we've looked at the world's biggest brands try to put their best foot forward. The world's biggest stage is the perfect place to talk about the world's biggest issues. And sustainability certainly is taking center stage.

Looking back at the advertising over the fortnight (we're using our proper English in preparation for the 2012 London Games), this Olympics clearly got a "Green Medal." And that's good news for everybody.

We leave this topic with a few thoughts on what makes good sustainability strategy and messaging (or any messaging, for that matter)—in hopes we see much more of it:

1. Be Synergistic – Don't try to sell trees, if you normally sell widgets. Instead design a widget that is made from trees. Maybe that's not possible, but you get the drift.

2. Be Authentic – As David Ogilvy said, “The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife!” Consumers are smart people. Give them the benefit of the doubt and let them make their own choices. If you are truthful, they will follow.

3. Make it Relevant – The ads that worked best were relevant to the Olympics, the brands, the products and a vision of a more sustainable world. Tall order. But when it works, it really works.

4. Have a Vision – Companies that lead, win. Go ahead and seize the opportunity. Become a sustainability leader.

And most importantly, COLLABORATE.

Brands can't do it all on their own, nor are they expected to. Remember the BP line? "It's a Start.” When a company acknowledges its role in the world, amazing things happen.

After all as the Japanese proverb says, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

(It sure would have been better if it was a Chinese proverb... but oh, well.)

GE: Green to Gold

As the Olympics march on, it was only a matter of time before turning our sites to that "green" heavyweight contender, GE. The Ecomagination folks are airing three new spots in very heavy rotation. (It doesn't hurt when you own the TV network.)

Of course it goes without saying that GE is a "gold standard" for successfully integrating sustainability into brand messaging. After all, it is the only brand messaging the company does.

And the new Olympic sponsorship spots are no exception. These latest ads are not only beautiful pieces of film, but also do a great job of taking not-so-consumer friendly products and making them tangible to the average Joe (or investor). We like one better than the rest. Guess which.

If you haven't seen them yet, here are the spots:

Beyond the ads, GE got plenty of play for helping make the Summer 2008 Olympic Games "green". And that's the real win. They provided "Ecomangination" products like water filtration and recycling systems and solar powered lighting-- including for the unbelievably beautiful Bird's Nest Stadium. Too bad, they don't have a system to make Beijing's air less brown...

But if we were judging the "sustainable advertising event," we'd have to give GE a gold medal. May not be a perfect ten (even if you throw out the Romanian judge's score), but certainly good enough for the podium. GE has already signed on for the 2012 Games. It will be interesting to see what they bring next time.

Is Sustainability the Real Thing?

Recently, we've looked at some of the world's biggest brands and what they've been doing with the world's biggest stage—The Olympics. And it occurred to us that one brand with a big sustainability story has been awfully quiet on the subject—Coca-Cola.

We love the Yao vs. LeBron spot (shout out to our old The Greenery pal Jackie Jantos, now with Coke) and Bird's Nest truly brings a Coke and a smile. The world's top brand certainly knows how to drive for the hoop.





But what we'd have loved to see even more is Coke talk about sustainability. After all, there's plenty to talk about:

Coke will spend $20 million over the next years to help the WWF preserve seven of the world's major rivers. This is smart for business, since it takes 2.5 liters of water to produce just one liter of Coke product. According to a Time Magazine article, "In 2006 Coca-Cola and its bottlers used 80 billion gallons (290 billion liters) of water to produce its beverages. That about one-fifth of the daily water usage of the U.S!"

Could be a big problem, if the pundits are right and water is the next oil. And nobody wants that to be the new Real Thing.

We did like what we saw with its recent "what's not in the drink" executions (kind of like "what's not in the bloodstream of Jamacian sprinters").

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/05/technology/coke.php?page=2



While its messaging is not quite on the topic of sustainability, starting with transparency of the product is something we can all get behind.

Because, while individual changes can make a big difference, the corporation is the dominant institution of the 21st Century. And more than most, Coca-Cola has the opportunity (and ultimately the responsibility) to use their products, reach and influence to help make this world a better a place.

Cue the singing.

An Olympic Effort by GM

Have you seen the new GM ad running during the Games? It aims to set GM apart as a "company that gets it," by showing off all the "green" bells and whistles they've got coming out of the R&D lab. It reminds us that GM is an innovator and is bigger than any one of its brands.

Of course, it's hard not to smile a bit smugly as the US car giant tried to unload the albatross formerly known as The Hummer. Maybe they should have left that brand's badge out of the spot...? But you have to applaud GM's willingness to change. But what about the U.S. car buyer? Will they be willing to change along with GM? Will they support a hybrid that doesn't come in the shape of a giant Chevy Tahoe? Will they "pay forward" a few dollars more to make a fuel cell a reality sooner?

Dunno. But times have changed and smart companies—like GM—should lead the mass revolution. Commit to technologies and products it knows people will want. And that only happens from the top. Afterall, it was another car company's founder, Henry Ford, who said, "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse."

What do you think?