The Earth Hour - Turn on Green Marketing Communication

Earth Hour - the annual turn-off-the-light event from the World Wildlife Fund was celebrated last Saturday 27th March. Today consumers not only become more conscious of environmental issues but also are willing to pay more for green products. In respond to that, more and more marketing messages contain green references and themes. The Earth Hour it's another opportunity for companies to demonstrate their eco-friendliness, sustainability and dedication to the environment. Below, some of the Earth Hour actions:

• In 2009 Leo Burnett Malaysia picked up a Gold Effie at the Malaysia Effie Awards for its Earth Hour effort on behalf of the WWF. The campaign launched during political and social turmoil in Malaysia, brought awareness to global warming carried an appropriate theme: “Who Says Malaysians Are Not United?” By urging all citizens to put aside differences and stand up together as “One Malaysia,” the effort inspired more than six million people to pledge support and switch off their lights this past March. The campaign included such media as TV, radio, print, OOH and digital, as well as a Facebook group that became the largest country-specific Earth Hour group in the world.  

 

• The Scandinavian dairy brand Arla Foods supports WWF by selling specially designed milk black packaging with on-pack information about Earth Hour. Design by the Swedish agency Milk.

• Kiehl’s, a premium American cosmetics brand retailer, has collaborated with Jeff Koons, Pharrell Williams, Julianne Moore and professional surfer Malia Jones to present a new design dedicated to Earth Day 2010. They worked on limited edition bottles for the Acai Damage-Protecting Mist. Each of the well-known personalities developed his or her own design for the product’s label. $200,000 from selling the bottles will be donated to the Rainforest Alliance.
  
  

• In Starbucks you could get a complimentary tall size (12oz) beverage of your choice when you purchased any Starbucks tumbler during Earth Hour (27th March 2010 from 8.30pm till 9.30pm).

• Houndreds of Starwood hotels including Westin, Le Méridien and Sheraton turned off their lights and took other energy-saving measures for one full hour. In more than 90,000 hotel rooms, hotel guests were encouraged to turn off the lights. The other actions included switching off exterior signage lighting, dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars; and informing guests about the hotel’s observation of Earth Hour through in-room voicemail messages and guest room television messages. Additionally, hotel lobbies were serving signature green cocktails, hotel restaurants were serving candlelight dinner.

• The Millennium Hilton Bangkok held “Rooftop Earth Hour Picnic”
• At Fairmont Hotel in Hamburg offered a candlelight dinner experience for diners. Guests of The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii celebrated Earth Hour with complimentary hot chocolate and s'mores roasted over an oceanside fire pit under the stars.
• Corporations all over the world the day before the Earth Hour on 26th March sent out emails to their clients and suppliers to inform them about this global event, encourage them to participate, join the action and switch off light. Some examples include Polish Airlines LOT and Coca Cola.

• Others were simply inspired...