I found a great blog today written from a Gen Y point of view about retail, mainly marketing.
It includes everything from fashion, to pop-up storefronts, to social media insights. Basically, whatever interests a Gen Y mind about retail. And yes, Gen Yers think a lot of stuff is cool. And sometimes it's when brands do Good.
Want to connect with Gen Y? Consider incorporating some Good in your marketing.
The nice thing about having a purpose-driven brand? When sh*t happens – like, say, BP’s oil rig hemmorages oil all over the ocean – you know exactly what to do.
You jump in, take action, bust parity, generate talk, and build loyalty in the process. Just like Dawn liquid soap is doing. Read the AdAge article: HERE.
There are other brands that would be ready to act. Brands who already champion a purpose. Cause brands. Here are a few:
Tide. Dove. Pedigree. ... ... to name a few. Think of the brands you work on. Do they have a "North Star" belief, or higher purpose of any kind?
What are people becoming a fan of? In the case of Pepsi’s huge good-marketing campaign, seems like people are fans of Pepsi giving money to charities. They’re fans of making the world a better place.
Are they fans of Pepsi cola as a thirst-quenching liquid?
In an industry of absolute parity, maybe that doesn’t matter so much. With a hammer this large, maybe relevance isn’t an issue.
Pepsi’s crowdsourcing, voting, consumer involvement, use of social (Facebook and well beyond) is all fantastic. Their giving strategy is so broad, it’s all-encompassing.
Does it have anything to do with selling a can of soda?
Does it need to?
Pepsi is giving away $1.3 million in grants each month, to non-profits in six categories. Health. Arts & Culture. Food & Shelter. The Planet. Neighborhoods. Education.
They’ve partnered with GOOD Magazine, and some other, more functional, charity-related organizations. This gives them credibility, as does their alliances with the non-profit community, and transparent dialogue with customers and bloggers.
Funny thing. They’re getting tons of buzz in two areas: social media, and non-profits.
Have they stepped away from their role in the mainstream? Away from teens and the “new generation?” That’s always been what Pepsi is all about, right?
They’ve obviously recognized that doing good is a huge trend with the younger generation; it’s important to them. And Pepsi sees how it’s a much more meaningful bond to have with their customers than, say, Michael J Fox.
Smaller companies can’t spread themselves this thin, by adopting a strategy this broad, donating to “everything.” (“What should our charitable focus be?” … “I know. How about ‘everything’?”)
For most companies, the challenge (and opportunity) is to choose a narrow cause that aligns with their purpose, and their customers’ beliefs.
And any company, even Pepsi, has an opportunity to somehow tie their Good program into moving units.
The fact that an organization as huge as Pepsi has chosen to get behind the Good thing in such a huge way speaks volumes.
For advertisers, it may be another signpost on the road away from ads that are “merely entertaining.” (No small feat, that.)
This builds community, engages people, gets people talking and spreading the program on their own. The earned media exposure on this is un-buyably huge.
In the ‘60s, the medium was the message. Today, the consumer is the media. People themselves are one of the most potent communication channels. (And of course social media is a huge way to activate and influence the conversation.)
I’ve read a lot of knee-jerk reactions in the blogosphere about this campaign, but one stood out. Joanne Fritz of the Nonprofits Charitable Blog on About.com.) noted some nice aspects of Pepsi’s execution. 1) it’s not only on a closed site like Facebook (though I like how it also uses Facebook), 2) it’s understandable, 3) it pays attention to outcomes, 4) the grants come in several sizes, 5) there’s a new opportunity every month.
As Bonin Bough, Global Director for Digital and Social Media at PepsiCo says, (unlike other contests) The Refresh Project “is a movement, not a moment.”
He also says, “never before has a trusted brand engaged in the work of doing social good with the level of resources behind the Pepsi Refresh Project.”
So. Pepsi is giving away $20 million. For little local charities, that’s a lot. But for Pepsi, that’s a drop in the bucket. In this case, a very well-placed drop.
This is a great idea, bigger than just one company. But oddly, the one big brand that has embraced it is standing there alone. Well, they’ve enlisted a couple other small brands, but come on.
Let’s back up. Companies have used animals for logos since the dawn of time. Since then, some of these creatures we wear on our shirts and drink from our beer steins have become endangered. No help from those companies manufacturing said shirts, etc – until now.
It’s called Save Your Logo; a program that companies can participate in to fund preservation of their namesake critter.
The first big brand to sign up is Lacoste, that of the endangered crocodile.
Learn more here: http://www.lacoste.com/saveyourlogo/ http://www.saveyourlogo.org/en
It's a simple, clear proposition. Buy a shirt with a crocodile on it, and some of the money goes to the crocodiles. That's pretty cool. Almost makes a $100 polo shirt worth it.
But. They need to enlist more companies to really make it a movement. Either this should be The Lacoste Thing, or it should be much bigger. Being in limbo, I can’t see this well-intended, original idea getting much traction.
Which other brands should save their logos, you ask? Below, I humbly offer some ideas.
So. There’s an agency called Naked and they are always very quick on the uptake with any new media or consumer trend. They did a little slide show that helps us understand how the power of 140 characters can help solve just about any social problem you can think of. (The slideshow has no sound, but you’ll get the gist.)
In other news … The earth has tsunamis, we have social networks. Here’s a cool example of how the speed and connectedness of the Plurk network was used to help people hit hard by the power of planet earth. (Article, HERE.
(Apparently Plurk is a social network by Microsoft that must be “big in Japan” or something. More on Plurk, HERE.)
And finally, Facebook. Here’s a cool tip sheet about how to use Facebook to fix the world. Just click. Perfect for the lazy do-gooder in all of us. Enjoy. And do these 5 things:
1) use charity applications like Causes and Lil’ Green Patch and SocialVibe, 2) join groups doing good like Cancer Associations and Darfur Relief, 3) become a fan of a cause like Susan G. Komen for a Cure and Greenpeace and Oxfam, 4) send a virtual gift that prompts a sponsor company to donate, and 5) host a charity event using FB invitations.
Links and more details in the original article on Mashable, HERE.
So, what’s missing here? We’ve got plenty of social media, and plenty of doing-good. What’s missing is clients. Clients that align themselves with a cause, and join the online communities that already exist, they’re ready to act, stand to gain a lot. A lot of loyalty, a lot of goodwill, a lot of sales, possibly another generation or two of happy healthy customers, a lot of leverage over their competition, and a lot of VIP treatment in marketing heaven.
Apparently, Milk Bone dog treats have been supporting the Canine Assistance program “for over 12 years.” Who knew?
Since they haven’t advertised it much until now, at first I thought they were just mimicking the Pedigree approach from TBWA/Chiat/Day LA (more on that, HERE.) It's an awesome approach, but in a category so similar, Milk Bone comes off like an "us too" player.
The lesson? If you’re doing something good, and your customers can help buy buying your product, then it pays to let them know about it.
(Anyone know if this is still handled by DraftFCB NYC?) (UPDATE: Apparently, the work was done by DraftFCB/SF. Thanks to Brian M. for the info.)
Toyota is one of the biggest advertisers in the country. And they’ve staked their huge new brand campaign (from Dentsu) on Doing Good.
They talk about creating American jobs at all the plants they have here. They talk about producing as little waste as possible, and their zero landfill targets. – (Bear in mind, this isn’t a fringe sub-campaign. This is Toyota’s new brand campaign.)
They talk about their safety innovations. Their partnership with the Audubon Society to “green” communities from Brooklyn to San Antonio. The $35 million they’ve donated toward children’s literacy. Fixing parks. Planting trees. Supporting college water sustainability standards … The list goes on and on.
It’s a lot of information we didn’t know about Toyota. And while it may not constitute total transparency, it sure feels like it. It feels like Toyota isn’t afraid to pull back the curtain and show you the factories, the parks, the people, the customers.
And it also invites viewers to chime in with their own stories, building a sense of community, participation, fandom, and in a way – crowdsourcing stories and ideas.
Creatively, my first impression of “Beyond Cars” was, Okay you see beyond cars, but if I want to buy a car I want Toyota to be really focused on that car, not some hippy tree-planting stuff.* However ...
After delving into the website, the good feelings I gained about Toyota overpowered the need for them to show me sheet metal. I already know Toyota makes great cars. Now I know a lot more. And in this case, the more I learn, the more I like them.
What other car company can say that?
* (Also, the creative is not particularly attention-getting. What is attention-getting is the mechanics of it: all the Good stuff they do, the transparency of it all, and the involvement of the website. It’s the community-building that gets the attention here, not a clever ad. In this case, the most compelling thing is to simply say the truth.)
(PS - If you want another Green car idea that's more closely tied to sales, you may also like THIS.)
It’s an embarrassment of riches when Macy’s does good. Martha, Tommy Hilfiger, Emeril, “The Donald”, Jessica Simpson, Usher, Queen Latifa, the list goes on and on. And on. For 45 seconds, including some strange camera work, and distracting inside jokes. Until finally … we learn that this is for charity.
Macy’s invites us to host a party, and somehow the proceeds will help Feeding America. (Score another coup for those guys – the charity du jour. And that’s all the French I know.)
The website is robust, and puts the star power to better use, making it more clear exactly how I can get involved. Oddly, the “big day” – Oct. 17 – is buried under Tommy Hilfiger’s section. That’s the day they’ve designated for their Shop For A Cause program.
But no matter many layers they’ve piled on top of the details, the results are impressive.
Over $28 million dollars will be donated through Shop For A Cause day.
Over 30 million meals will be donated through Feeding America.
And over 40 million A-list celebrities will be featured in each TV commercial. Oh wait. That last stat is just a little off.
I’m sure Macy’s is also running their “sale sale sale!” TV spots to move product, but this campaign builds the brand. And apparently, it’s a star-studded, big-hearted brand indeed.
Why would anyone go to Dillard’s?
http://social.macys.com/cometogether/
(PS – "So, what’s with the Beatles track?” Yes, they are using Come Together in TV and online, and yes, The Beatles have always been notoriously litigious and short-leashed when (not) licensing their music to commercial ventures. And here it is; Macy’s rocking the opening track off of Abbey Road. Think they could’ve gotten that track for a one-day-sales event? Heck no. And THAT, gentle reader, is a pretty sweet by-product of adding some good to your marketing. Beatles tracks.)
(PPS - I believe the agency is still JWT Chicago? Please comment below to confirm or deny. Thanks!)
The Effies are a weird award for creatives. Because the winners don't need to necessarily be the most breakthrough or well-crafted creative; it just needs to be "effective." Historically, the winners have been a mixed bag - some great, some not. Regardless, it's a very cool trend to see the big award shows are recognizing "Good" campaigns. Here's what the GoodWorks Effie is all about, straight from their website.
"The lines between brand marketing and a company’s reputation are blurring. Those that lead with a strong social conscience through the likes of sustainable business practices and philanthropic initiatives will succeed.
To highlight this notion that you can do well by doing good, and that great branding and good deeds are increasingly interwoven, Advertising Age has launched GoodWorks — a blog to highlight developments in corporate social responsibility and cause marketing as well as recognizing individual good works.
As part of the GoodWorks initiative and to further promote such efforts, Advertising Age and Effie Worldwide are partnering on a new Effie Award to recognize and promote the idea of doing well by doing good – The GoodWorks Effie.
The GoodWorks Effie is for communications programs proven effective in addressing a social problem or in expanding an existing program in ways that benefit our society or our planet. Any effort that sets out to give back in some way for the greater good is eligible to enter.
Maybe it was for profit, maybe not. Maybe you got paid, maybe you didn’t. Any and all marketing communications efforts, whether full campaigns or unique efforts within a campaign are eligible to enter as long as measurable results exist.
GoodWorks Effie – Brands/Companies For marketing communications efforts undertaken by for-profit entities that are ‘doing well by doing good.’
Examples of campaigns that would have been eligible for this award include:
GoodWorks Effie – Non-Profit Designed for communications of a public service nature for a non-profit organization or association, including political messages and special interest/trade group communications.
Examples of campaigns that would have been eligible for this award include:
Effie is an award for effective marketing communications. It is not our place to say, for example, that fighting cystic fibrosis is more or less important than working to end urban violence. Like all other Effies, what will be judged and measured is the effectiveness of the communications program created. All GoodWorks entries will undergo the same rigor of evaluation as other Effie entries do.
The GoodWorks competition will run in conjunction with the North American Effie program and will adhere to the same deadlines. The Call For Entries period will kick off on October 14th and officially close on Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Download the 2010 Entry Kit here.
The GoodWorks-Brand Effie will have a flat fee of $785 per entry. The GoodWorks-Non-Profit Effie has a flat fee of $385. As a courtesy to this unique award, the Effies will not be implementing a late fee structure on GoodWorks entries.
All GoodWorks entries will be judged by handpicked, highly experienced industry professionals from around the country. Entries will go through a rigorous first round of judging and those that receive the highest scores will move on to the final round.
Winners will be announced and awarded at a special cocktail reception in February 2010.
Perhaps you have questions regarding the GoodWorks Effie? Contact us directly via email at spulner@effie.org or call us at 212-687-3280 ext. 228.
Would you like to suggest a “goodwork” for a GoodWorks Effie Award? Please Click Here to Submit Your Recommendation and we will reach out to them with all the entry details.
We look forward to celebrating your good works in coming months."
This follows the announcement by the One Club/One Show of their "Green Pencil" award, which you can read about HERE.
This clip has already taken its swift lap around the interwebs, but I thought I’d chime in with a thought about balance. (First, let me say that I think this program is fantastic. The target and the cause align really well, and Yoplait will make lots of fans with this effort, I’m sure.)
I think this is 95% awesome, and really only falls down a bit in the balance of the creative. Don’t get me wrong, this spot is simple, clear, plenty edgy for their Gen Y target, and obviously it's compelling enough to get forwarded around the ad blogs, so I think it’s succeeding in a big way.
And I love the way they’re involving consumers (even though it’s not tied to purchase); “For every pledge received by October 31, 2009, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $100,000.”
If I were to nit-pick (everyone’s a critic, right), it would be about losing the brand.
This is a great campaign for breast cancer, though I do wish it worked harder for Yoplait. They’ve almost relegated their own brand to sponsorship status (with the exception of the smart URL www.facebook.com/YoplaitPledge).
Creatively, the lesson here is, if you’re a big brand putting a spotlight on a great cause, don’t get off the stage too much.
(For an example, check out how the brand shares the spotlight in THIS campaign.)
(Thanks to the Cone agency for doing this great work, and spreading the news about it. Kudos.)
(Oh, and please do take the YoplaitPledge on Facebook, HERE
This looks like the kind of spot that should be running worldwide. T-Mobile Deutschland (aka, Deutsch Telekom) has produced this TV spot with the help of a German agency called Philipp & Keuntje (philppundkeuntje.de).
I don’t speak German, but looks like T-Mobile is doing some “good.”
I saved you the trouble, and typed the German supers into a free online translator. Here’s what came out:
IN GERMAN: Das alte Handy abgeben und wertvolle Ressourcen erhalten. Die Rechnung online bekommen und die Natur schonen. Lieblingssongs runterladen und weniger Plastik produzieren. Grofle Veranderungen fangen klein an. Erleben, was verbindet. www.millionen-fangen-an.de
IN ENGLISH: Deliver the old mobile phone and receive valuable resources. Get the calculation Online and nature of already. Favorite songs download and produce less plastic. Grofle porch rings begin small.* Experience, what connects. www.millionen-fangen-an.de (“millions catch at”)
(* they actually mean, “Big changes, start small.”)
My interpretation? "If you bring in your old phone, you can save the earth. Find out how much online, download your favorite songs, and use less plastic."
Big changes start small, indeed.
Two words: thank God. This, to me, is the trifecta. It’s a big company using its big marketing budget for good, and the creative? Really freaking cool. (Finally!)
The film style makes the scenes look like minuatures; like a diarama/model train set of the world. It sets up the “big changes start small” idea in a very intriguing manner.
Note to T-Mobile US: do this.
Is it strategic? Yes. Any company that reduces its carbon footprint with its products/production is on strategy. Is it involving? Absolutely. Inviting customers to make a difference means that the more they buy, the better off the earth is. Perfect. (And they get something free out of it, apparently. Let’s hope it’s not just the Best Of the Rammstein.)
This encourages purchase for a reason. It makes T-Mobile appear forward-thinking and good-hearted. And so … when someone buys, they not only love the earth, they also like T-Mobile. Brand loyalty built.
My guess is they’ll tell they’re friends about it.
(Thanks Griffin, yet again, for the tip on this one. Great find. Go see Griffin's blog, HERE.)
The Wall Street Journal online recently had a great article about how many of the highest-end luxury brands you can think of (Tiffany’s, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Zegna) are turning to a green strategy to boost sales.
Here's an excerpt; “The luxury industry's adoption of a green message reflects the challenges facing some of the world's most glamorous brands. Once able to win customers with the promise of fine design, craftsmanship and service, the luxury business is contending with an aging core clientele and the aftermath of a decade-long expansion that has rendered exclusive brands less so than they used to be.
Those factors have purveyors of high-end fashions scrambling to re-invent their brands, in part by catering to younger shoppers who more often consider their impact on the environment than do traditional luxury-goods buyers.”
You might call it “sharing a worldview” with your customers. Or, offering “more than just a transaction.” These are some of the buzz-worthy phrases at my agency right now. And as luxury brands go green, they're making THAT their message.
Fact is, green campaigns do this, and more.
Luxury brands are often mature brands, and always rely on discretionary spending; for them it’s a great way to re-connect with people. And if you think about it, a green (or “we’re doing good”) message a great way to connect for all kinds of brands.
In one of the more brilliant ad campaigns in recent history, Droga5 used water itself to fight water shortages in developing countries. (If you don’t know about their TapProject, you should.)
The other big water issue is getting bigger, and ad agencies aren’t helping. It’s about the plastic bottles and the whole landfill mess. Every bottle says “recycle me” on the side, but only about 25% of them actually get recycled. Enter Brita Water with it’s crystal-clear anti-landfill messaging (courtesy of DDB San Francisco, I believe). And now, another voice joins the conversation: DiMassimo advertising in NYC.
Old news for some, but they’ve launched a campaign to convince people to drink perfectly-good tap water from reusable bottles. They call it “What’s Tappening,” and the program comes with a very useful component: the reusable bottle itself.
It’s not as groundbreaking as Droga’s TapProject, but I give them big points for attempting to take on this issue at all. Several ad blogs have criticized the creative work, so all I’ll say is that I think the headlines skirt the main point a bit, with their “free beer, just kidding” structure (note the asterisks). The bottle water issue is a serious one, and there’s plenty of drama in the actual story of it.
Most importantly, does anyone know how it’s working? Please, write in. Let’s hear from someone at DiMassimo. Me and my buddy planet earth are hoping for the biggest success.
There’s big business from the ankles down. And there may be no easier area for Joe shopper to do something good. It's almost freaky how many shoe companies are making the world a better place.
As I've mentioned before on this blog, you can look at the world-of-good as split into two camps: those that ARE good, and those that DO good.
Brooks running shoes made a shoe that IS good. What I mean is, they’re making the world a better place by the way they build (one of) their shoes. It’s called The Green Silence, and it's a high-performance marathon shoe made out of recycled plastic bottles, sofa foam, and CDs (pictured). It’s got pretty damn good green credentials. (NYTimes’ Green Blog covered it HERE.)
Similarly, Simple Shoes (“Shoes for a Happy Planet”) has long been the hipster’s purveyor of recycled and earth-friendly shoes. (I bought a pair off Zappos.com not long ago, and let me tell you, they kick the crap out of Converse All-Stars.)
Puma is taking the other approach. Rather than greening their operations, they’re helping those in need. They put on a shoe exchange program (with Soles4Souls) – bring in any pair of shoes, deposit them in them in the bin at the store and receive 30% off your purchase. The used shoes are given to charity. (June/July 2009)
Likewise, there’s the ugliest shoes (slippers, more like it) on earth, Toms Shoes. Their tagline is, “One for One”. Like Soles4Souls, they give a pair of shoes to those who need ‘em for every pair they sell. They've built their whole business on it. (More on Toms, HERE.)
Footwear is a mature market, rife with parity. So some smart companies are acting out to differentiate themselves, and do something people can get behind. Want to save the environment? There’s a shoe out there for you. Want to help the shoeless? Just buy this brand and it’s done.
This segment is leading with their good foot. The rest of the body is sure to catch up.
* Inappropriate footnote: the Soles4Souls tagline is, “Changing the World, One Pair at a Time.” Which is funny, if you have a dirty mind like me. More about them, HERE. http://www.soles4souls.org/
I’m guessing “reliability” was the message. A cell carrier that would work no matter what. And when you can count on rough weather, perhaps you’d want to make something more useful than a billboard – a tool that helps people in need.
Sure enough, the rains came. There was no elaborate program of giving. The ad fulfilled its own promise.
The locals used the billboard raft to shuttle people to a nearby safety zone. As intended.
I love my friends. I also love strangers when they do what my friends often do, which is to send me anything they find out there that smacks of marketing-plus-goodness.
Here are three such tidbit from the “mail bag” – all thought-provoking – and none of which I will do justice here.
“Brandon M” in Tampa writes, “Dear M+G, cell phones are filling landfills by the millions with their plasticky ways, which makes this news pretty cool… It’s a Samsung phone from Sprint, and it’s made out of corn! Do you know if I can order it with a side of fried chicken?” *
Dear Brandon, thanks for the tip! Since they don’t have an iPhone or a Gphone, Sprint needs to innovate somehow, and this seems like a great way to do it. Can’t wait to see how this resonates with the wired/green set. Let’s hope more phone manufacturers follow suit. I’ll keep an eye out for any ads they may run for this too. (A bit more on Sprint's corn phone from PSFK, HERE.)
“Mark Y” in Seattle writes in, “Dear M+G, YouTube launched a nonprofit program (http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits) in 2007 that offers member organizations the same features it sells to paid advertisers — a specially designated channel to broadcast its message, help with branding, a video-uploading capacity beyond the standard 10 minutes and a Google Checkout button to rustle up donations. Ryan Hawk, the multimedia coordinator of the Woodland Park Zoo (http://www.youtube.com/user/dahalcon) in Seattle, says that its partnership with YouTube has simplified streaming and embedding videos to the zoo’s Web site, blog, and Facebook page.
Last week YouTube added a “Call to Action” tool, which lets video makers include links that appear in an overlay while the video plays. I tested it in a videofor charity: water, a nonprofit that aims to bring clean drinking water to developing countries. Viewers donated $10,000 in one day, a sum that will pay for the construction of two wells in the Central African Republic.” *
Dear Mark, back in the Betamax days, the innovators were the pornographers. But now the innovators understand transparency, so when YouTube wants to give away the first uses of some new gizmos, they’ll give the discounts to the early-adopting do-gooders. Pretty awesome stuff. Marketers take note. Doing good just might open more doors to innovation online as well.
“Griffin F” in Tampa writes us, Dear M+G, why are you ignoring me? Well, you can’t ignore this nifty do-gooding promotion from Sonic drive-ins that invites customers to vote on worthy student projects to win massive funding ($500,000!). Just try to ignore it. Try.” *
Dear Griffin, you’re right. I can’t ignore it. It’s a nifty example of how doing good can drive traffic. Sonic invites people to come in once to register to vote (and buy a meal), then again to judge the student projects (and buy a meal). I’ll bet several classrooms full of hungry tweens will be pow-wowing at your local Sonic in the coming months. And loving Sonic for every moment of it. It’s giving, and taking, and mixin’ it up with the community. Well played, Sonic. Well played.
Watch for future installments of “M+G’s Mail Bag” in the not-too-distant future.
* Not actual letters.
(PS - Griffin's outstanding blog is HERE, and Brandon's also-outstanding blog is HERE. Enjoy.)
They say it can reduce (eliminate?) our dependence on foreign oil, by using less.
It’s a “good” message both politically and environmentally. And they’ve somehow wrapped performance in there as well (HERE). It’s a fascinating strategy, and it just might work. (Cue watchdogs crying "greenwash" anytime now. The "clean diesel" debate continues.)
The creative is reminiscent of Goodby's Saturn work, but still very solid in its own right. Mad props to Venables Bell, SF.
(And to Mr. Greg Bell, who’s moving beyond the agency now, congratulations and good luck.)
One great thing about getting a “good” message out there is the free stuff.
Better directors, better talent for less, people donate their time, their costumes, props, and even air time.
BBDO West made this spot look like a million bucks, though I doubt that was the budget. Kudos for that.
Here’s my critique. It’s a cute spot. Entertaining. But will I get involved? Will I schedule a clean up? Probably not.Here I was, ready to join an online group to stay in touch. But they didn’t ask. If I had joined a group, and if a clean-up was happening on some lazy Sunday, maybe I would’ve gone.
It seems the world is outgrowing the traditional clever spot. It’s not enough to entertain. Especially not for a cause.
So while this spot is very entertaining, has my behavior changed? Honestly, no.
Even if someone sees this spot and goes to the website, the website doesn’t convert. There’s no next step, besides a small Facebook button at the bottom.
Point is, there is a MISSION here. Let’s keep California beautiful. In my humble opinion, this spot doesn’t so much engage that mission as it just makes fun of kitsch.
To quote Gareth Kay (formerly of Modernista!, now of Goodby Silverstein, congrats Gareth) … “Do stuff, don’t just say stuff.”
And here’s one of many useful slides from Gareth’s most recent presentation… I didn’t hear him present, so I’m assuming this chart outlines the old way of evaluating good creative (on left), and the new way of evaluating good creative (on right).*
When you have a cause, don’t just entertain me. Enlist me.
(* A few great thoughts from Gareth Kay are posted on SlideShare.net. Just search his name.)
Something weird has happened since I started this blog. A lot of people find it by searching for Fiji Water. Specifically, “fiji water bad,” and “fiji water good.”
I think these people are looking for an answer to a question like this; “If Fiji keeps claiming to be green (“carbon negative” in fact), how can it still have a controversial reputation?”
Here’s my hunch, presented humbly to you in a completely non-scientific graph.
The Fiji Water source is limited, and they’re taking so much of it as to throw the local ecosystem out of whack. Add to that the transportation impact of their water, and you’ve got a product with a pretty big enviro-impact. (Ironically, many local Fijiians have trouble finding clean drinking water, and Fiji Water has a history of unhelpfulness. So add bad karma.)
To fight that reputation, they’ve decided to buy their way out with carbon offsets. Not that it’s a bad practice, but offsets are no substitute for corporate responsibility. Their impact is still massive, and so their offset expenses are as well (a fact reflected in the price per bottle, perhaps).
By contrast, one of the most eco-friendly bottled waters is Icelandic Glacial. Like Fiji Water, it’s imported from a unique source. But since Iceland has to import most of its goods (other than fish), there are a lot of empty ships leaving the country. Icelandic Glacial can export its water on ships that would otherwise return empty. They’re not adding traffic. Their shipping is creating zero NEW emissions; their shipping impact is happening whether they export their pure water or not.
Further, the Icelandic Source is a gigantic under-island glacial “river.” A source so massive, the company’s annual output is about 1% of what flows through the source in a single day. So the water they take doesn’t impact the local environs in the least. But here’s the best part. The country of Iceland derives most of its energy not from oil, but from water. Steam. That’s right, Icelandic Glacial’s bottling plant is powered by – (wait for it) – water.
Yes, Icelandic Glacial still buys carbon offsets to account for its small impact on the earth. And that helped make it the world’s first carbon neutral product.
Fiji Water claims to have caught up, now being “carbon negative” thanks to its egregious greenwashing. Icelandic Glacial is carbon neutral, and is truly a greener product.
I just like to imagine the ad campaign they could run.
(See the earlier posts that are getting this site so much traffic, HERE.)
(PS – another fun fact about Icelandic Glacial is the mineral makeup of the water itself. It’s so pure, it’s the only water that freezes perfectly clear. Neat-o.)
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