Ad Age released more information today on Al Gore‘s advertising campaign, scheduled to start on April 2nd:
The ad campaign from Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Martin Agency, Richmond, Va., due to break April 2, doesn’t suggest specific behavior Americans should change, but instead uses celebrities from the Dixie Chicks to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to urge business and government leaders to focus on developing environmental policies and solutions that will bring change.
“From the very beginning, we felt there was a gap in the marketplace in that there wasn’t a massive national effort to communicate about the urgency and solvability of the climate crisis,” said Brian Hardwick, communications director for the Alliance (Alliance for Climate Protection). “We want to inspire people to help, hoping that if enough of us raise our voices we can come together to demand more from our leaders.”
Besides Mr. Gingrich and the Dixie Chicks, the ads feature the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Pat Robertson, Toby Keith and current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Alliance was holding off announcing most details of the ads until this week, but did say they would urge “solutions.”
The Alliance is touting the campaign as an “unprecedented effort,” and said that the messages will run in TV, print, the internet and a wide variety of venues. The initial TV buy is broad, including the broadcast networks, cable including MTV and news networks.
How much of the effort will go toward advertising remains to be seen. The Alliance is hoping marketers will help spread the message by tying in through their own packaging ads and websites. Mr. Gore, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” to be broadcast March 30, suggests that few thinking people still believe that global warming isn’t a reality.
I am most interested in the ‘solutions’ part of the campaign. Let’s see what they mean on April 2nd. . .
La Marguerite 