Taking a hint from Emily's post, in which someone on the subway states that "global warming" doesn't sound that bad, how about a voice saying something like, "Warming sounds so innocuous, but it's not," over a montage of hurricanes, deserts, etc.

"Go to fightglobalwarming.com to find out what you can do."

Frequently asked technical questions about Grist's newsletters and website.

But I think it will give the impression that consumers and individuals can sit back while the scientists and engineers fix everything.

I think you could maybe add a part on what the consumer can do, such as choice of product purchases, transportation, lifestyle etc

Vincenze.

And do you think an outfit like the Ad Council didn't test these ideas thoroughly with audiences and focus groups??  Come on!

These ads are absolutely fabulous, and I think they're destined to become pop culture icons!

Let's think massive propaganda campaigns.  I'm not kidding.  Is climate change serious or is it serious? As one blogger pointed out somewhere, this is one issue where THE SCIENTISTS ARE MORE SCARED THAN THE ACTIVISTS.  

As advertisers know, you've got to keep punching for  years to get your message across.  And for widespread social change, you've got to push your message in a multitude of channels, with a multitude of slants for the different audiences.

A good model would be the propaganda campaigns of
the World Wars.  That was a serious effort, in both the resources and talent with which the campaigns were mounted.

In addition to overt propaganda, there needs to be a drive to enlist writers and artists.  

Bart
Energy Bulletin

Chaz, I'd be willing to bet top dollar that no one will remember these ads in 6 months. The market for fear is robust. Everyone is trying to scare the public -- people selling products, the media, political groups, you name it. It takes a lot to break through the cacophony and really jolt people -- and that fear will be replaced by new fears quickly enough.

Hope, in contrast, is rare. Inspiration is rare. That's an open market and I believe there is huge unmet demand.

Bart, the notion that scientists are more scared than activists originated, I believe, in a quote from a scientist who talked to Elizabeth Kolbert for one of her New Yorker pieces. She reiterated it this evening when I talked to her.

Kolbert's past two years have been spent talking to a broad cross-section of people involved in the climate issue -- scientists, activists, politicians -- and she is not optimistic. At all. It was a grim discussion.

grist.org

[Animation: polar bear cub swimming with mother, very close up, panning out.]

Child's voice: Mommy, are we there yet? I'm hungry.

Matronly voice, weary but comforting: Not yet, sweetie. We've still got a ways to go to find some food.

[Continue to pan video out to show lots of blue sea, with small icebergs melting away.]

[Cut to video of Inuit woman]

I'm [name] from [tribe/place]. My people have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, and we have never seen our world change so quickly. Global warming is quickly melting the Arctic, my home and home to the polar bears. Help save our home at Stop Global Warming .org.

Or the Crying Indian (who, through the magic of the Internet, I have discovered was played by actor Iron Eyes Cody, who has his own star on Hollywood Blvd)? That PSA was a collaboration of Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council.  

To this day I pick up any trash I see while hiking, not to mention that I've freqently yelled at people for littering in NYC (my companions are thrilled with this behavior, natch).

These ads weren't scary - one dished up a hefty dose of guilt, sure, but clearly they were effective if I remember them 30 years later, and still put into action their recommended advice.  

So why can't we come up with a motivational factor that is better than fear?  Fear is a short-lived emotion and hence a short-term motivator.  People like to be scared otherwise horror movies would not sell.  But if fear were a good motivator, than no one in the country would be obese (heart attack, diabetes, cancer), no one would live in the central US (tornadoes), Florida (hurricanes) or California (earthquake) and air travel would have stopped completely after 9/11.

Fear works in the short-term.  For instance, say a guy comes up to you in the street, points a gun, and says "Give me your wallet!"  You're scared, and most likely, you hand it over.  Later that day, you feel relief, and a little bit foolish at not protesting more.  The next day, same thing happens;  you're more annoyed now, and argue a bit, but still scared, and still hand over the wallet. This happens every day for two weeks - eventually you say "No I *&^% won't" thinking that you'll just accept the circumstances.  Rationally, you haven't decided you really want to get shot, but your fear has worn off, and you simply can't get worked up about the consequences anymore.

The environmental movement is the guy with the gun.  The public is you.  How do we get your wallet now?

fear will drive more people in our society than hope.  due mostly to manipulation of the media, most american people think they "got it so good" compared to all else in the world.  we believe we have plenty of information, food, leisure, opportunity, rights, equality, commerce, freedom etc...  so what moves people here is a fear of losing that.  not a hope of improving that because  in their minds nothing is better than the USA.  

fear motivate those who have much too loose ---conversely, hope motivates those with nothing (think ellis island, emmigation etc...)

----and if you think fear doesnt work, look who is driving this country.  american fears exploited, bush has consolidated more power than any president ever.  fear of a second heart attack drives the obese to liposuction, fear of a second terrorist attack drove us to put up USA flag stickers everywhere and band togther, fear does make people move right after hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes--how many people are back in New Orleans...

the reason why fear seems to wear of as a motivator is beacause the threat goes away.  on 9-11 we were scared shi*less, on 9-12 less scared, etc...   with climate change we won't get that let up, the threat wont go away, it will only get more pronounced (read: lethal, sadly).  

fear has worked, continues to work, and with a imminent force like global climate change, you dont need to worry about the fear wearing off once as its consequences become apparent.  
   

Chaz is right, the process of creating an Ad Council campaign involves research of the target audience, as well as reviews and critiques from executives of top ad agencies. And this campaign in particular was produced by another past employer of mine, Ogilvy & Mather, which is responsible for ad campaigns for IBM, American Express and many more.

Here is the rationale behind the campaign according to the Ad Council blog:

Our research revealed that while Americans are aware of global warming, they don't think its consequences will affect them in their lifetime. They also don't believe they can personally do anything about it. To break through the cluttered media environment, the creative is powerful and compelling. I invite you to view the television spots Tick and Train that were created pro bono by Ogilvy New York. Other campaign elements can be seen on www.adcouncil.org.

And this from the press release:

"We've launched this campaign as a wake-up call," said Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense. "Global warming is the most serious environmental challenge of our time. It is more urgent and its dangers are more fundamental than most Americans realize. This campaign seeks to educate Americans about how quickly we must act, and give concrete steps that people can incorporate into their lives to fight global warming - today."

"It's clear that most people think global warming is real, so our mission was and is to get people to act. With so many messages appearing in the media about global warming, we needed a different way in. We need to jolt people a bit. To think that a child today will have to bear the consequences of our apathy in years to come should be shameful and scary. If this does't hit everyone right where it hurts, nothing will." said Josh Tavlin, Group Creative Director, Senior Partner, Ogilvy & Mather.

And the first comment to the blog post illustrates the need for such a campaign:

Ad Council is way out of bounds endorsing the frivilous assertion that human activity is the cause of global warming. There are many, many scientists who do not believe humans are the cause of global warming. Earth's climate has widely fluctuated throughout the centuries. Furhermore, there is much evidence supporitng the theory that Earth is on the verge of a cooling period, not warming!

Someone go set Lee straight!

Bart, the notion that scientists are more scared than activists originated, I believe, in a quote from a scientist who talked to Elizabeth Kolbert for one of her New Yorker pieces. She reiterated it this evening when I talked to her.

I love Payton Chung's idea.  I would modify it in this way: two people being interviewed, one Inupiat, one Tanzanian, with Kilimanjaro in the background.  A questioner is off-screen. "We live near the North Pole."  "We live near the Equator."  Has life changed for you recently?  "Yes."  Is the ice melting, unlike anything you might have expected?  "Yes."  And they explain how things are different.  Interwoven: images of polar bears struggling, drowned polar bears, African hoofed animals struggling, dying in the current drought, dateline prominent.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

first of all, rational argument isn't working. the facts aren't resonating. sure, they're resonating with people who go to websites like these, but not to the public at large. and certainly not to the fat cats who watch fox and buy hummers. are these people beyond hope? maybe. but before we write them off, let's try Plan B: scaring the sh*t out of them.

but seriously, finally, we have a major advertising campaign for a cause we care dearly about, and we're arguing about copywriting. gimme a break.

cheers

1. Intellectually they think: What can we do? The problems is global.

2. Instinctively: It's not right in front of me so it's not a threat to my immediate existence...next!

Vincenze.

http://www.vincenze.com