Category — Activism

A disturbingly effective awareness campaign was created this spring by Duval Guillaume Modem and produced in Amsterdam by monodot in support of STOP THE TRAFFIK.

Honest Tea is launching a new initiative, The Great Recycle, today with an event in Times Square seeking to recycle the same number of bottles they sell in NYC in a day.  The program differentiates itself with its simplicity and clear goals. As their website describes: “At Honest Tea, we like to say that nature got it right, we put it in a bottle. That’s why we’re launching The Great Recycle, a national call-to-action to boost recycling rates. Our goal: to recycle the same number of bottles we produce each year by 2020.”

Their social media component encouraging people to evidence their pledge to recycle by recycling an old facebook status seems like a bit of a stretch but I have to admit their recycled status from 2009 is pretty great: “If we don’t change the direction we’re headed, we’ll end up where we are going.” – Chinese Proverb.

Jean Kilbourne opens her presentation below with a very simple statement on the power of advertising: “Ads sell more than products. They sell values, they sell images, they sell concepts of love and sexuality, of success. And perhaps most important, of normalcy. To a great extent they tell us who we are and who we should be.”

Jean’s presentation focuses on the very real impacts this industry has had on women: their role in society and sense of self worth. Its an impact that extends well beyond just this vertical, seeping into almost every area of our lives if we let it. It’s a power that if leveraged, has the potential to effect tremendous amounts of positive change. It’s a power that fuels my belief in the ability of advertising to be a force for good. It’s a power that, even in a time of awakened, empowered individuals, wields more influence than many like to admit.

So, what if this power was used with a vision on the long term? With an understanding that differentiating your brand in a crowded marketplace with honest, impactful and straightforward communication has the power to forge strong bonds of loyalty with your customers? That’s what Socially Conscious Advertising is. Being aware of the impacts your advertising and corporate messaging has on the social landscape, and choosing those impacts wisely.

Custom Cordage has created a simple, elegant solution to the glut of float rope in the Maine lobster market – turning it into sale-able goods that both create jobs, keep waste out of landfills and incentivize the switch to sink rope. It’s a perfect example of the triple bottom-line in action – a wonderful way of thinking that I hope will continue to catch on.

Envision’s 2012 conference “Stories for a Sustainable Future” will stream live online tomorrow from 9:30am – 6:00pm at www.envisionfilm.org. Envision, “addressing global issues through documentaries” is a great collaboration between the UN, IFP and Ford Foundation. 2012 looks to be another great lineup – definitely worth checking out if you can’t be there in person. There’s a full program on their site here.

I’m particularly looking forward to the first session, The Promise of Cities featuring THE LAST TRAIN HOME and the lunch-time session, Sustainability and the Corporate Citizen with Jason Clay from the World Wildlife Fund. Enjoy!