30 Aug
2009


BMW and ad agency GSD&M have managed to make a commercial that is, both, boring and wrong in its message. Their latest campaign to hawk cars is flown under a “green” banner. Their mission is to convince consumers that diesel engines burn cleaner, therefore are better for the environment. All the while using a mercury-containing compact fluorescent bulb as a stage prop, under a vast ceiling containing hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these energy-saving bulbs lit up like the mid-day sun.
Too bad they didn’t have a viable light bulb moment when drawing up this bizarre campaign. The ad can be viewed below.
Unlike biodiesel, which is produced from vegetable oils or animal fats, regular diesel is petrodiesel obtained from crude oil – it’s a fossil fuel, the black hat foe of the green movement.
Diesel contains high levels of sulfur which prevents the use of catalytic converters to reduce emissions of sulfur particulates into the atmosphere. Once emitted they instantly mix with water in the air to produce sulfuric acid, one of the major causes of acid rain. Again, another major enemy of the green lifestyle.
Why they would opt for such a prop of great controversy among the green group, is beyond Digital Cheeseburger’s comprehension. The governments of Europe and North America are currently outlawing incandescent light bulbs in favor of a “green” alternative, the compact fluorescent bulb, which looks like a worm cast or tube pasta. As a people charged with stewardship over planet Earth, can we be convinced that the real and present hazards of a “green” bulb, which contains people-poisoning and water-polluting mercury is an environmentally wise move?
The argument pro the green bulb is as rationally futile as the sales pitch for the green BMW. So, perhaps they did have a light bulb moment, after all.
In truth, the only green alternative to the automobile is a stout pair of walking shoes and, perhaps, a bus pass, too.
Grab your sunglasses and watch the ad:
|
|
|
|
MORE FROM DIGITAL CHEESEBURGER
- Lights Out For 'Guiding Light'
- Solar Eclipse Halts Births
- "Punk'd" Little Wonder It Was Junk'd!
- Neverland Trademarks Transfer To MJ's Estate
- Apples Exploding Over Europe!
- Oprah Sued for $1 Trillion
- Ted Kennedy Dead
- Ellen Is New 'American Idol' Judge
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- The New BMW Diesels, Now Hitting the US
- EarthTalk: LED Light Bulbs More Efficient Than CFL's?
- The Perfect Tree Chronicles: Tips On The Correct Way To Put Lights On A Christmas Tree
- Reduce Monthly Electricity Costs on Lighting
- Green Home Improvement Tips
- The Benefits of using CFL Lighting
- Ebay Auction: 1 Year of Ads on our Car + Website. This is Huge!
- Green Paint and VOCs
You might also like
|
|
|
|
|
Make Comments
BMW, Cars, Current Events
Tags: acid rain, ad agency, biodiesel, BMW, BMW Efficient Dynamics, Cars, compact fluorescent bulb, crude oil, diesel, Digital Cheeseburger, Earth, environment, Europe, fossil fuel, goverment, green, GSD&M, incandescent bulb, light bulb, mercury, North America, petrodiesel, planet Earth, sulfur, sulfuric acid, sulphur, sulphuric acid, vegetable oils























![Validate my RSS feed [Valid RSS]](http://www.digitalcheeseburger.com/images/valid-rss.png)





Make comments