optimist prime
we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the starsArchive for green
Gesta non Verba
Or as they say outside of the Roman Empire, Deeds not Words. Its a saying thats been around a while. And an ethos that is to be commended, celebrated and encouraged. So, when I sat down with a copy of the Guardian in Saturday I was faced with an existential crisis of massive proportions.
Honda had “taken all the advertising space in the first 11 pages in Saturday’s Guardian (and an entire ad break on Channel 4) as part of its campaign to get more members of the public to be “do gooders” regarding the environment” (see the full article here).
Brilliant sentiment, gorgeously illustrated. Made me want to watch the ad (which is sweet and cute and well, lovely)… until… it went on… and on… and on… page after page after page.
By page 11, I was steaming mad. Mad that Honda had just highlighted to me how much paper is wasted in those pages every Saturday with ads. Mad that what was a sweet story of discovery and action had turned into a rambling Oliver Stone epic; and most of all mad because if Honda REALLY wanted to do something for the environment then why not make a statement, buy the ad space and not print anything at all.
Imagine an ad-free paper, with a nice “Brought to you by Honda”. Save the 5 pages per Guardian you used with your pretty pictures.The PR you would get! The readers would have thanked you. The trees would have thanked you (5 pages x 1.24 million – the average daily readership). And you would have been making a difference, instead of just making a noise.
Don’t get me wrong, as I said, beautifully executed work and the sentiment couldn’t have been more right, but its saying green rather than doing green, and both client and agency should have spotted that. In comparison to the Fiat Eco Drive, which is actually helping their drivers use less CO2, its just a load of hot (achingly beautiful) air.
Eyebeam is the brilliant, privately-funded digital arts and research centre in New York: where the ever-brilliant Amanda MC works her magic.
They have an exhibition on currently called “FEEDBACK” – I wish I was there to see it! There’s been a lot of discussion about sustainability and design recently, and I’m happy to see that they are investing in a Sustainability Research Group. I think a She Says on sustainability would be a great plan.
Here’s the lowdown on the show:
What does it mean to think “green”?
Eyebeam’s expansive new exhibition, FEEDBACK, surveys artists, designers, architects and engineers on the topic of sustainability, and presents their responses—19 projects varying from public art projects and industrial design to DIY energy solutions and software tools—to inspire discussion and action on this pervasive (and increasingly commodified) subject.
As the culmination of Eyebeam’s Beyond Light Bulbs programming series, the show highlights the concerns, interests and work of Eyebeam’s Sustainability Research Group, with work by individuals, collectives, students, local community groups and the Eco-Vis Challenge winners.
Design and sustainability
Brilliant presentation by Ben Terrett of Noisy Decent Graphics – at Campaign’s Applied Green conference.
The Wind – Brilliant energy company ad
You’ve just got to love this splendid film for Epuron, a wind energy supplier.
This TVC won a Gold Lion under the film category in the 54th edition of the Cannes International Advertising Awards.
CREDITS:
Country: GERMANY
Advertising Agency: NORDPOL+ HAMBURG
Director: The Vikings
its a veritable variance of vegetables!
Scenes from the Children’s Vegetable Display at the Lambeth County Fair in Brockwell Park, just up the road… The turtle got first prize…
3 cheers for mum and dad! And Kip and Doug!
I don’t know if I congratulated my family back home enough for taking part in this momentus event! I was at a conference today listening to a talk by the ad team that worked on this and it really brought a tear of pride to my eye!
WELL DONE THE JORDANS!!!
