The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival’s first ever “Green Lion,” a Lion statuette dipped in green paint and presented to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, underscored that 2007 was indeed a year of heightened eco-friendly consciousness in the commercialmaking industry. Gore won the Green Lion in recognition of his efforts to combat global warming. He was on hand at the Cannes fest as a featured speaker for a Y&R-sponsored session discussing what the advertising/marketing sector can do to address the dangers of climate change.
Gore’s Cannes appearance came just weeks prior to the SOS Live Earth Concert he helped to organize. Spanning seven concerts on seven continents on 7/7/07, the event brought together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to help trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis. And the ad community certainly rallied around the Live Earth cause (SHOOT, 7/20).
When looking back on the most significant development of ’07 (see separate Industry Survey story), Dave Verhoef, director of integrated production at Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, related, “Green, green, everything’s green. I’m green, are you green? I can’t believe you’re not green. I know I’m greener than you are. Are you sure you’re green? I don’t think you’re green enough. You shouldn’t say you’re green… From products to production, everything tried to be green in 2007.
A recent industry survey commissioned by the Marketing Executives Networking Group confirmed that one of the current hot buttons in the marketplace, according to marketing execs, is “the green issue.” Some 32 percent of respondents cited “green marketing” as important and a growing trend.
And it’s an evolving trend. Just look at JWT’s “trendspotting” report regarding what advertisers and marketers should look for in ’08 (see separate story on page one). Prominent among the JWT projections is that “blue” will replace “green” as the environmental color de jour. The report reads, “Climate change has quickly become the driver of environmentalism 2.0, and people worldwide understand that climate is all about the seas and the sky–both blue. And blue (denoting water) is becoming as big an issue as green (forests). The era of apparently limitless clean water supplies is coming to an end around the world, due largely to pollution. Water management and conservation will rise up the agendas of governments and corporations around the world–water just might become the next oil. Yet while there are some alternatives to oil, there’s no alternative to water.”
CFC
Film commissions also got into the green act this year. For example, the California Film Commission (CFC) launched a web-based Green Resource Guide that is designed to promote environmentally conscious production.
The Green Resource Guide provides production companies with information and tools to reduce their environmental footprint, while saving them the time and expense of conducting their own environmental research.
From pre to post-production, the Green Resource Guide supplies everything from handy tips on green office practices to useful green vendor contacts. For example, the site has information on where to find sustainably harvested lumber for set production, as well as lists of food banks that accept surplus meals from caterers.
“This guide has been designed to completely streamline the process of green production for film companies of any size,” said CFC Director Amy Lemisch. “It’s my hope that these easy, environmentally friendly practices will catch on with all productions shooting in California and throughout the country for that matter. They’re available to everyone.”
The Green Resource Guide comes at a time when the environmental movement is entering the mainstream. More and more production companies are looking for ways to minimize their effect on the environment and some have already adopted many of these environmental guidelines in their day-to-day operations and productions.
Companies take initiative
Indeed the production community at large got its green mojo going in ’07, a case in point being Santa Monica-based harvest, the six-year-old shop founded by director Baker Smith and executive producer Bonnie Goldfarb. Now on harvest’s set, crew members are given non-leeching, reusable water bottles on which appear their names along with the harvest logo. Large water dispensers are nearby so artisans can rehydrate as needed.
Goldfarb switched over to the reusable bottles after realizing that an average shoot day would see the consumption of about 15 to 20 cases of bottled water, translating into about 500 individual bottles which would often be strewn about, many of which would still be half full. She and Smith decided to seek out a vendor (BTW Sales in Seattle) for the non-leeching, usable bottles which crew members can keep. Under the new m.o., waste at the end of the shoot day is minimal.
In the same spirit, harvest’s pre-pro books, letterhead and DVD covers are now made of entirely recyclable materials. Again, harvest found vendors who manufactured the recycled fare, including Sustainable Group, also in Seattle, which did the pre-pro books. The product is hand stamped with contact and other relevant into, eliminating the need for post-it notes or sticky labels.
Goldfarb, who sits on the AICP/West board, now hopes to share her vendors and new practices with her industry colleagues. She noted that many have already adopted eco-friendly initiatives. But, she affirmed, it’s important to spread the word and inspire others to follow suit responsibly.
Santa Monica-headquartered Instant Karma Films was founded last year on eco-friendly principles and has recently decided to up the ante. Since its inception, the production house, headed by president Tanya Hunger and exec producer Craig Farkas, has donated money to conservation organization American Forests to plant 1,000 trees for every Instant Karma-produced job. Staff director Curtis Wehrfritz has implored Instant Karma to increase that commitment to 1,000 trees per each shoot day starting in ’08, with Wehrfritz volunteering to donate part of his director’s fee to the cause. Instant Karma might also serve as a hybrid agency/production house for PSAs promoting American Forests, a leader in planting trees for environmental restoration.
Also founded on pro-environment policies was Chicago-based editorial/design house Outsider, which president/creative director Michael LaBellarte opened in ’00. Before it was in vogue, he promoted a digital, tapeless workplace. Furthermore, Outsider’s facility contains recycled furniture that’s been modernized; for example, a bus seat has been converted into an office chair, with back support installed to make it ergonomically correct. A couch came from a 1920s train car, and circa 1950s’ desks were all recycled for use at the company.
Outsider’s talent–and its progressive eco stance–caught the attention of New York production house Kontent Real in which director/executive producer Tad Fettig and exec producer Karena Albers are partnered. For its recent project–E2 the Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious, an 18-episode documentary series currently running on PBS–Kontent Real came to Outsider for edit and design services. E2 uncovers solutions to environmental challenges, featuring thought leaders and inventors who are catalysts for positive change in the relationship between people and the environment.
