WWF targets Earth Hour apathy with comical approach
Local advertising for Earth Hour has ditched green messaging in favour of comedy this year, with a story about three friends in the outback who are besieged by a swarm of moths after neglecting to switch their lights off. The spot, created by Leo Burnett Sydney for WWF, debuts tomorrow, six days before the event on March 26th at 8.30pm.
The end frame of the ad features a web address where visitors can “go beyond the hour” by sharing stories with people in other countries about what they are doing to tackle climate change.
The campaign press release assured that no moths were harmed during the making of the film.
Using humour contrasts the approach taken in the global 2011 Earth Hour ad, shot in Sydney in February by Leo Burnett Chicago, in which people holding coloured squares form shapes and words, with the message that “it’s time to go beyond the hour” and do more than turn the lights off once a year.
Credits:
- Client: WWF
- Agency: Leo Burnett:
- Executive Creative Director: Andy DiLallo
- Copywriter: Mike Felix
- Art Director: Matt Swinburne
- TV producer: Rita Gagliardi
- Group business director: Paul Everson
- Business director: Claire Kesby-Smith
- Business executive: Laura Glendinning
- Director: Dave Klaiber
- Producer: Susannah DiLallo
- Production company: Plaza Films
- Editor: Danny Tait
- Post production: Cutting Edge
- Sound design: Song Zu
- Music composition: Song Zu
This is abysmal. Sooner or later someone at earth hour had better decide what it is they’re really hoping to achieve. Right now Earth Hour is nothing more than a little self-congratulatory ‘look at me I care for the environment aren’t I wonderful’ moment that comes around once every 12 months. The amount of money and energy wasted producing this piece of juvenile rubbish should be proof enough that the time has come for Earth Hour to be put down and replaced with something of substance that might actually achieve something other than an hour’s light entertainment.
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Firstly, this is a great, creative ad.
Secondly, it’s for a good cause, even if only a small hour, it still raises awareness in a way which adheres to everyone, which will inevitably lead to the goal: more lights being switched off 🙂
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Some good stories on how the Earth Hour campaign has evolved this year… should address @lights outs comment above.
http://mashable.com/2011/03/16.....edia-push/
http://www.poorplanet.com/2011.....after.html
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brilliant – quality job by leo’s very cinematic and funny
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I would find the Leo Burnett’s commitment to Earth Hour more credible if they turned their lights off after hours!
They often burn in the early hours of the morning, including weekends.
Maybe it’s the cleaners fault…or they are working back…but ALL the lights?
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Eart Hour is more concerned with gaining popularity for their brand than achieving anything. Check this video that tells it like it really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTF2HasbEXU
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Loved the concept for this great cause- unique and funny (actually laughed when reading this article before watching) however the delivery let it down for me. Shame – you can lead a moth to light but you can’t make it … work…
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Clever & humourous. More needs to be done that just 1 hour of darkness a year though. Not sure what the objective is really…
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I agree with Daniel – cinematically great and it IS for a worthy cause and creates awesome awareness, the figures alone speak volumes for how it has evolved re participation. Lights Out – can you give me the thirty seconds of my life back that I wasted reading your whinging drivel?
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Tim … I predict and upcoming story on ASB. Some clown will write in and complain that the end of the ad encourages people to unscrew light bulbs while they are still on and that the ad encourages the risk of electrocution.
If I’m wrong I will donate $50 to the RSPCA.
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Whether you agree with the relevence of Earth hour or not, (I get the symbolism of it, but I’ve never bothered myself, so feel free to blame me solely for the polar ice caps melting), the ad itself is actually quite funny and will get people who aren’t enviromentally inclined, to at least discuss the ad (because it’s funny) with other people and thus at least be aware of the event, and possibly participate.
So ignoring whether you agree with global warming, sorry Climate change, sorry climate emergency (or what ever it’s been changed to this week ), the advert itself, is effective in my opinon.
and @John Grono you are spot on my friend, either that, or someone will complain that they left the other guy out there, and it’s inhumane or some other crap.
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I don’t know what objective Leo Burnett are trying to achieve with Earth Hour.
Their premises are constantly ABLAZE 24/7. I would love to know how much they pay for their power bill.
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