CAMPAIGNS
SO GAY
S
ome things are just universal.
In the case of teenagers,
ers, for
example, it’s pretty much
expected they’ll spout off
incendiary things at their
peers, parents and anyone
else unfortunate enough to stand
within a 50-foot radius.
A
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight
Education Network and the Ad
Council have teamed up for a new
public service ad campaign aimed
at curbing the use of antigay speech
by teenagers. The campaign, helmed
pro bono by ad agency ArnoldNYC,
includes TV spots featuring Wanda
Sykes and Hilary Duff. The stars
admonish obnoxious teens to “knock
it off” after they employ the phrase
“that’s so gay” to describe things
that do not, in fact, possess a sexual
orientation.
The idea behind the campaign is
twofold: point out to teens that lan-
guage like “dyke,” “faggot” and, yes,
“that’s so gay” is harmful and hurtful,
and thereby create a more positive
environment for LGBT teenagers,
who are coming out younger than
ever before. “When we tested the
new ads with teens, they found the
approach to be realistic and identifi-
able,” says Peggy Conlon, president
and CEO of the Ad Council. “This
campaign will open their eyes to the
dangers of using this language, and,
ultimately, create a safer environment
for LGBT students.”
If nothing else, they might at least
choose their words more carefully for
fear of Wanda Sykes delivering a ver-
bal beatdown. Gaetano Pollice
GREEN
Run
Willie
Run
S SARAH “DRILL, BABY, DRILL!”
Palin toured Midtown
Manhattan photo ops,
two charismatic biodiesel
missionaries were preaching renewable
energy at NYU — along with the spirit (and
namesake biodiesel) of Willie Nelson. Nik
Bristow and Brian Pierce, copywriters for
Fitzgerald & Co., prepared Willie One,
a Volkswagen Jetta fueled by BioWillie,
for the first-ever “green” cross-country
Cannonball Run, dubbed WillieRun.
Basically, it’s an innovative, pro bono
PR stunt on behalf of Earth Biofuels, pro-
ducer and distributor of BioWille. Made
from a blend of soybean and petrodiesel,
BioWillie is the label for the fuel, available
in the South and California.
“This is a gesture of good faith [to Earth
Biofuels],” Nik says, “but more important-
ly, the world has a huge energy crisis, and
we believe we can change the way people
view biodiesel.”
Pierce adds, “We like driving like
Americans, but we’re not burning fuel like
Americans. And by the way, the VW is an
awesome car. You don’t need to drive a
dustbuster to run on biodiesel any more.”
The lads made it to LA in just over 38
hours, three more than the record. They
didn’t stop once, thanks to BioWillie,
German engineering, and a supply of
Stadium Pal condom catheters, which
enabled them to relieve themselves en
route without using the sunroof (“My urine
reacts with a powdery substance, creating a
gelatinous substance,” said Nik).
Energy experts tend to agree that, in
a country that uses 20 million barrels of
oil a day, biodiesel isn’t a scaleable alter-
native to a liquid-fuels crisis. It’s viable
on a small scale, emits less CO2 and gets
far better gas mileage. But biodiesel also
has implications for the world’s food
supply and cost.
America has an legacy of fighting
for cheap oil. “They want to put another
band-aid on a bullet,” says Brian. We’ll
either continue bombing and subju-
gating nations for black gold, scrape
the bong in Sarah Palin’s backyard, or
spend war-chest and Wall Street–bailout
kind of dollars on renewable energy and
efficiency. #J Mitchell McMahon
November 2008 <4380 21