For the third year in a row, OAAA teamed up with Earthday.org and Extra Credit Projects for an Earth Day campaign designed to spread awareness and education through the use of creative physical spaces. The 2022 theme, “Invest in our planet” focused on outreach to businesses and government entities—organizations possessing significant capital to invest in the planet by way of their decision-making efforts and actionable policies that lead to sustainable changes.
The pandemic seems to have shifted perspectives in many areas of our lives, environmental impact included. The IBM Institute for Business Value conducted a survey in 2021 indicating 93% of global respondents felt the pandemic had influenced their views on sustainability. A 2022 Ipsos survey indicated that we all are—or should be—in this together.
But what, exactly, does that look like? In the Ipsos survey, participants cited a shared responsibility among government (77%), businesses (76%) and individuals (74%) to address climate change. Other surveys consistently show that climate change is one of the top issues for Gen Z, but its importance spans generations. This only underscores the need to promote better environmental practices by everyone for both today and tomorrow.
That’s why we were so pleased to see the results from several of our OAAA members, including Intersection, Norton Outdoor, Clear Channel, Yesco Outdoor, and Lamar. Together their efforts generated nearly 52 million impressions in more than 50 markets around the country. Each of those impressions represent an opportunity to educate, engage, and inspire people to act in the best interest of our world and, by extension, ourselves.
Environmental activist and author Wendell Berry once said, “The Earth is what we all have in common.” In the midst of global health, social, and geopolitical disruptions, a 24/7 digital assault of messaging can be overwhelming. That, in turn, can lead some people to withdraw. In that isolation, we risk many people missing or ignoring messages that can provide opportunities for them to make a meaningful difference.
OOH advertising serves a dual purpose in this regard. It provides an escape from, and transition back into, real-life connections. And it fosters the ability for people to interact with the very world we’re trying to protect. The impact of messages that engage and encourage action in the moment have a multiplier effect, contributing to the betterment of our health and well-being as we all seek ways to improve our impact on the planet.
This post was adapted from an article that recently appeared in The Drum.
Published: May 10, 2022