Getting any message across to the general populace can be an uphill struggle. Trying to educate or persuade people to radically alter their everyday activities is even harder. This has been one of the major problems facing environmental awareness lobbies over the years. Try convincing the average driver that they should switch from a petrol car to a lower carbon footprint vehicle and they often react with seemingly plausible reasons against it.

Mitsubishi’s popular range of electric cars begins with the i-MiEV.

Getting Attention

Raising environmental awareness is the aim of government departments, utility companies and green campaigners alike. In the past we have been faced by harsh truths and catastrophic billboard images. While these drives are worthy, they serve to turn people off and repulse them. It is only in recent years that the use of comedy and wit has been used to draw attention in a more engaging way.

Atmospheric Air Pollution

In May 2003, Singapore Environment Council released a trio of adverts designed by Fallon Singapore to draw attention to pollution and air quality. They used a suffocated alien Grey, a crash-landed witch and a conked-out Cupid surprising members of the public.

“Alien”

“Cupid”

“Witch”

 Vehicle Emissions

The World Wildlife Fund has many comical, eye-catching green campaigns. The first one I’m featuring used a static display at Fudan University in Shanghai. In case you can’t read the writing on the smoky balloon it translates from Mandarin to: ‘Drive less and see how your carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced’.

Reducing Power and Resource Consumption

The South African power company, Eskom, utilized just one light bulb on this billboard to great, simple effect that not only gets your attention but also makes you smile. It’s a successful blend of message and advertising nous in action.

Water Conservation

Denver Water Company in Colorado, USA proclaims ‘Use Only What you Need’ and illustrates this with clever use of street furniture and billboards.

Animal Conservation

The World Wildlife Fund created this campaign to illustrate the plight of the bluefin tuna whose place on the ‘Threatened List’ has been raised to ‘Critically Endangered’ due to over-fishing. They aren’t cute, they aren’t cuddly and because they live in the ocean you don’t see them. So the campaign centered on emphasizing the differences in at-risk species and drawing our attention amusingly and poignantly to our own biases.

Guerilla Campaigning

If you get laughs from slapstick comedy and shows like ‘You’ve Been Framed’ then you would probably appreciate the German Friends of the Earth – BUND’s, surprise attacks on motorists. With Earth printed balloons these cheerful chaps would attach them to unsuspecting motorists’ car’s exhaust pipes and sit back as the gases would burst the balloons with ‘hilarious’ results. Let’s hope that they used biodegradable plastic.

Global Warming

WWF makes its final appearance in my article; this time with its ‘You can’t afford to be slow in an emergency’ and its great tagline: ‘Act Now to Save the Planet’. Using funny staged shots of emergency services taking their time to respond by either a bit of sales shopping, taking the time to photograph a beautiful sunset or pausing for a bit of roadside urination these high contrast images illustrate the need for immediate action.

Greenpeace also have a quirky twist on the impacts of global warming on our seasons. The strap line reads, “Winter. You’ll miss it when it’s gone”.

Public Transport

Acts of Green

April 22nd marked Earth Day 2011. This environmental movement recently celebrated its 100 millionth ‘Act of Green’. Their aim is now to reach their billionth act prior to the Rio+20 Earth Summit next year.

And finally…

Comical Green Campaigns don’t need to be explicitly from a lobby or pressure group. This selection of advertising posters was ostensibly to promote Diesel’s latest clothing range but with the tagline ‘Global Warming Ready’ and imagery of a world with massively raised sea levels it makes a witty comment on the way things are heading. Mount Rushmore’s presidents are trying to keep their heads above water and scarlet macaws on Venetian streets are more than thought provoking.

Guest blogger, Greg Coltman, has his eye on environmental issues and reduces his carbon footprint by walking (downstairs!) to work.