We open on a wife spraying a scented air freshener in her home, as her dutiful husband stands nearby. Then out of the blue a typical product pitchman enters the living room and asks, “Is regular clean clean enough for your family? Not when you can have Clean Coal Clean!”
He puts a black canister in her hand. Dirty, toxic spray spews forth from the canister, blackening the room as husband and wife start choking on the fumes.
The pitchman, unfazed, continues, “Clean Coal Clean harnesses the awesome power of the word ‘clean’ to make it sound like the cleanest there is.”
As the family–including two children–fans themselves and coughs repeatedly, the pitchman, now seen on the house’s front lawn, assures the viewer, “Clean coal is supported by the coal industry. The most trusted name in coal!”
This slice of polluted life is then broken by a message on screen that reads, “In reality, there’s no such thing as clean coal.”
An end tag directs us to thisisreality.org, the website for the Reality Coalition, a joint project of the Alliance for Climate Protection, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation and Sierra Club.
“Clean Coal Clean–Air Freshener” is the first in a series of ads directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, a.k.a. the Coen brothers, via Los Angeles-based production house Company for Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Boulder, Colo.
The Reality Coalition campaign is designed to debunk what it regards as the myth of “clean coal.”
“The coal industry has spent tens of millions of dollars selling the illusion of so-called ‘clean coal’,” said Brian Hardwick of the Alliance for Climate Protection. “Why? Because marketing and lobbying are much cheaper than actually making coal plants clean.”
Hardwick continued: “Coal companies would rather protect the status quo than actually do what is necessary for coal to be truly clean and be part of an energy future that doesn’t destroy the planet. We’re challenging them to stop the bogus marketing campaign, stop their delay tactics and support real progress toward climate solutions.”
The Crispin team on the Reality Coalition campaign included co-executive creative directors Andrew Keller and Rob Reilly, creative director Ryan Kutscher, associate creative director Paul Caiozzo, art director Santiago Escobar, integrated art director Javier Torok, copywriter Donnell Johnson, integrated head of video Matt Bonin, executive integrated producer Chris Kyriakos and executive integrated music producer Bill Meadows.
Robin Benson and Richard Goldstein exec produced for Company with Robert Nackman serving as head of production and Ron Neter as producer. The DP was Dan Hainey.
Editors were Paul Martinez and Christjan Jordan of Los Angeles-based Arcade Edit. Assistant editor was Greg Scruton. Damian Stevens and Alison Maldonado were exec producer and producer, respectively, for Arcade.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More