This commercial strikes so many chords with me - literally dividing me in quarters based on my personal interests and passions - splitting me between positive and negative feelings towards this ad. So I'm going to break them down into "kudos" and "shame on you" categories:
KUDOS
1. [from my Conservation side] Congratulations Nissan! This is an amazing innovation! A zero emissions car that doesn't even need a tailpipe. I never thought I'd see the day where these cars move beyond showroom concept cars to actually being offered on the market. And now GE is planning on building charging stations. Awesome. As a conservationist, this gives me a sense of hope (of course, the only reason I'm in conservation is because I already have a sense of hope, but anyways.)
2. [from my Advertising side] TBWA/Chiat/Day did an amazing job on this commercial. It is beautiful, engaging, and very touching. It doesn't cross the line of being too slow, instead it grabs the viewers attention and takes you on a journey with just music, sounds, and impressive visuals to accompany you. A great work of advertising.
SHAME ON YOUs
1. [from my Animal Rights side] Enough with the using real animals in advertising folks!! A polar bear is not a pet - I don't care if it was born in captivity or not - they should not be paraded around forced to "act" against their will for our entertainment. This goes for any non-domestic animal out there: lions, tigers, chimps, gorillas, elephants, and the list goes on. And to show a polar bear HUGGING a human being creates a warped perception about the realities of wild animals which is why people are still getting mauled by bears and bison in the wild.
2. [from my Skeptic side] Consumerism is not the answer to our planet's woes. Consuming MORE, even if that more is "green" or "sustainable" or "earth-friendly", is still MORE. Sure, if your car broke down and you need a new one, then please get a hybrid or electric. But if you're going to just add another car or cycle through cars as if they're easily disposed of, then please hold off. We don't need you to add more stuff to your life just so you can feel like you're saving the planet.
In summary: It's a great innovation sold through a very powerful commercial, but let's be realistic about what we can accomplish through purchasing. And no matter what, please start using CGI instead of real animals in our ads! So Jason - that's my 2 cents - was it all you hoped for and more??
