The Best Green Ads

Who said global warming isn't a laughing matter?

In September 2003, Environmental Defense created the Undo It campaign to get the word out about the urgency of curbing climate change...but they did it in a very witty way - "There are things you can't undo. Global warming we can."

We talk a lot about Greenwashing, but here are several other examples of organizations and companies spreading a sustainable message using the only message we hear: humor, wit, and sex. See something missing? Join and add away...

The Greenfamily Youth Association of Environmental Protection in China put up this..err...rather striking visual imagery to really gross people out about water pollution.

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The wall of a pool isn't the most likely home for a poster about climate change.  But here you have one!  This ad was painted straight onto the tiles of a pool by Naga DDB Malaysia as part of a Regional Environmental Awarenss campaign.

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Who doesn't love billboards that change?  This clever billboard ad from WWF was put up for SaveOurClimate.ca.  Of course, not too many people make a habit of standing and watching a billboard all day.  But luckily, there are time lapse videos.

Clever spots for renewable energy

In 2006, Solon, a solar power provider in Germany, launched a campaign with a film called "Hail - The Return of the Sun."  It's a little long (a whole two minutes) - and in case you can't quite tell from the YouTube version what is is falling from the sky...they're batteries.  Lots and lots of batteries.

Epuron, a subsidiary of Conergy AG, produced another favorite video.  It's called "Power of Wind" and we're not the only ones who think it's clever.  It in fact won a Golden Lion at International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

Mmm...pollution

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has been fighting for clean buses for quite some time.  In April 2000, they got the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to commit to a fleet-wide strategy to reduce emissions from its 4,200 diesel buses...buses which produced "huge quantities of asthma attack-inducing particulate matter, more than 40 carcinogens, and high quantities of smog-forming nitrogen oxides."  Part of the fight included running ads on the back of MTA buses to raise awareness.  Along with the ad below, another read "Meet New York's Heaviest Smoker."

Sexy cleaning products

Yep...you read that right.  Cleaning products CAN be sexy.  Method does a nice job with this online ad for their hardwood floor cleaner.  You might have also seen the print version with the tag line "Make floor love, not floor war."

Catchy Conservation

Here's a funny commercial from Planet Green about conserving energy: 

Denver Water has a pretty clever way to get the word out about conservation...while they (of course) really aim to get people to cut down on their water consumption, it's applicable across the board.  Of course...if you're trying to sit on the bench, it might be annoying.