GreenerPolitics

One Response to “GP Video: Climate Change Runaway Train”

1. Michael Says:
   September 2nd, 2007 at 1:31 pm

   I agree it’s a well-designed commercial and I just happened to see it on broadcast tv in NYC this weekend. However, like all Ad Council advertisements, it places the onus of reform on everyday individuals (i.e. consumers) while ignoring the role of industry in societal ills. They always ignore industry, of course, because the Ad Council spots are created by volunteering ad agencies with corporate clients. Their ads never attack the business they represent the other 99% of the time.

   And while I agree that consumers and individuals need to make changes to avert climate change, switching to fluorescent light bulbs will not make a lick of difference if we continue converting millions upon millions of tons of resources each year into war machines, useless products, and waste. For instance, have you ever witnessed a corporate advertising shoot? Talk about wasteful! A friend of mine catered one that had palettes full of product that was never used and tossed out, had an extra A/C unit to keep the soundstage ultra-cool for “the talent”, and then the agency people sent an intern out to by hoodies for the management that felt chilly (in July!). They shipped over product by Overnight Air, didn’t use it, then tossed it out. This is in addition to all the production equipment and energy needs the shoot itself required, and for what? A 30 second spot (with a lifetime of what, 3-6 months?) for junk food that even the “the talent” refused to actually eat!

   Here’s where I’m going with this: how would it change this climate chaos commercial, and how easy would it be, if instead of a Joe Schlubb as protagonist we had an Executive Looking Fellow wearing a business suit and a name badge with a fake corporate logo? That includes corporations’ culpability for climate chaos. That’s a spot I’d like to see.

Leave a Reply