No moment of happiness is too big or too small for your chance to win the grand prize: $5,000 in spending cash, and an all-expense paid trip to New York, where you’ll present the “Wild Out Wednesday” Best in Show winner, alongside Rocsi and Terrence. Creating and spreading happiness is just an idea away.

Good luck!

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From my new home town in Boone, North Carolina, the Energy Center at Appalachian State University is providing valuable research and guidance to educators, policymakers and businesses associated with energy technologies and conservation. Earlier this year, the Energy Center published its third volume of the North Carolina Economic Developer’s Guide to the Renewable Energy Industries. Positioning the green economy as today’s growth economy, the guide’s forward explains how the state’s unemployment has soared above 15% in some counties, but also points out that over 2,200 new jobs have been announced within the green energy sector, and rallies readers around this mandate:

Green energy technologies such as renewable energy and energy efficiency are crucial growth opportunities for economic recovery.

The guide can be downloaded at the Energy Center’s site at http://energy.appstate.edu, which is also an amazing resource for learning about other important local, national and international initiatives underway.

The organizers of Blog Action Day 2009 have also posted their own amazing resource, a list of actionable ideas that makes it as easy as possible to participate in important activities addressing climate change. With all of us working together, I’m excited to think about all the lives and the natural resources we can positively impact.

Finally, each day, I encourage you to please visit http://www.thehungersite.com and its related sites supporting Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforests and Animal Rescues. There, our simple clicks can make huge differences.

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Directed by McMahon, narrated by Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip and featuring an all-star soundtrack, “WATERLIFE” was produced by Kristina McLaughlin and Michael McMahon of Primitive Entertainment in co-production with Gerry Flahive and the National Film Board of Canada and Mark Achbar of The Corporation. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at this year’s international Hot Docs Film Festival, “WATERLIFE” follows the epic cascade of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean… from the icy cliffs of Lake Superior to the ornate fountains of Chicago to the sewers of Windsor, documenting the science and underlying fate of what amounts to nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh water supply. The source of drinking water, fish and life itself for millions of people, the Great Lakes are under massive assault by toxins, sewage, invasive species, dropping water levels… and profound apathy. Some scientists believe the lakes are on the verge of ecological collapse, and not surprisingly, the main issues brought to light in “FLOW” (among them, corporate and governmental greed, and individuals trusting their governments to do what’s right, and failing to act to protect themselves) are again to blame.

To me, both films are essential viewing for those of us wishing to understand the source of a major, growing global problem so that we can join together to begin turning the tide. At the end of “FLOW,” viewers see groups of people organizing in major cities around the world to protect their collective rights, and what really got my attention were these (or similar) words from Maude Barlow, the co-author of Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water:

Solving the problem is not a matter of knowledge… it’s a matter of political will.

And another interview subject profoundly stated:

This is not a Republican issue, nor a Democrat issue… it’s a people issue.

If you are reading this, please note that, as I’m writing this, the official trailers for these films have been viewed by fewer than 10,000 people on YouTube. So although we must muster our collective political will and do what we can to impose it politically, spreading knowledge of the nature, causes, effects and extent of this predicament is a very necessary first step. For that reason, I say to Kevin McMahon and his production partners, and to Irena Salina and hers, thank you thank you for your thoughtful, illuminating films, and for taking on the good fight we all must participate in to protect life, human rights, and the Earth’s natural resources vital to our existence, and that of our children. And to the individuals behind the Sundance Institute, I am also extremely grateful for all you do to make the world a better place.

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Personally, I am beginning with being thankful. Among my own dreams and ideals, going back about 14 years to a time when I was updating my company’s marketing plan, I identified the following mission: Implicit goals include the creation of original materials which fathom art through the improvement of existence and the preservation of the earth’s natural resources. I recall that this statement surprised my wife when she first saw it… she hadn’t been aware of the depth my environmental consciousness up to that point. However, over the years, this is a value that has come to represent some key aspects of our home life. Professionally, until now, my green ideals have only factored in in subtle ways… but that has changed recently. Over the past few weeks, the story of Shai Agassi and his remarkable “Better Place” vision for making electric cars a practical reality has been a great inspiration to my wife and me. I also have discovered Addis Creson, the Berkeley, California-based strategic brand design company that is integrally involved in shaping and executing Agassi’s plans. Addis Creson’s positioning tells the world that they are committed to working with companies with whom they can create positive change. As meaningful as that is to me on the surface, when I learned that their roster also includes Kashi, a unique food maker which has been inspiring my family for the past several years with their truly healthy products and the inviting, educational and just plain smart packaging they use to earn each purchase, I experienced something of an epiphany. My family was already emotionally connected to Kashi well before I ever learned about Better Place or Addis Creson, and having discovered the common connections, I am seizing this day to take the lessons to heart. Creating positive change is something I too can achieve, and today, I will. How about you?

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. Experience Marketing: In my humble opinion, the Toyota family is leading the way in creating brand experiences which translate into customer engagement and loyalty — and marketplace success. One example from an amazing 2007 playbook includes the recent ExpreScion Alcatraz event cooked-up by my clients at ATTIK. What brand experience could drive all other facets of your 2008 marketing and communications?

. Virtual clubbing: Maximizing social networks from the large and ubiquitous to the small and tightly targeted currently rank among chief marketers’ highest priorities. How can you improve your business with the help of your v-friends?

. Gaming: There’s a fascinating story in Adweek today about how the U.S. Army has made its virtual reality warfare game into an interactive exhibit that’s helping to boost recruits — even now. Do consumers’ interests in gaming offer unique opportunities to engage, entertain and/or educate your target audiences?

. Going green: From the business perspective, corporate social responsibility seems largely to have migrated toward environmentalism. Forbes “Going Green” coverage and MSNBC’s “Going Green Special Report” reveal more specifics. How can a green strategy drive your success in the year to come?

. Mobile: With cell phone capabilities expanding and use steadily increasing, specific opportunities to successfully market over mobile phones are ripening. Should people be hearing or seeing your company on their cell phones in some strategic way(s) now?

. Outdoor Marketing 2.0: We’re familiar with billboards, but add-in RFID, motion sensors, GPS and other high-tech innovations, and we are well on our way to the worlds of “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report.” My clients at visual effects design company a52 contributed to a forward-looking outdoor Lexus campaign from Team One that Brandweek covered — and other out-of-home media like in-theater, in-gym, etc. video networks are also getting smarter. Any lucrative ideas for personalizing your large-scale messages, or using technology to make them more interactive?

. Search Engine Marketing: The trend Drew points up is the rise of behavioral targeting over contextual targeting for marketing via search engines. Might such a tweak offer you an advantage?

. Online video: Evidently a result of most computer users having broadband connections, our YouTube nation is fully wired for video, and offerings like Hulu.com, iTunes, Joost and LiveStation are making the online experience more TV-like every day. Not long ago, the prospect of a 500-channel cable universe made us light-headed, while today, many netizens have a good sense of where and how to tune into their favorite short- and long-form video content from literally thousands of “channel” choices. Online video is being seen — so maybe you can make your own and get it out there… or leap into your chosen role behind the scenes?

. Widgets: With the proliferation of websites, online communities and social networks, and with each trying to out-do the other to make it more sticky, engaging or useful, some software developers are creating stand-alone programs that push or pull specific data in delightful ways (if you’re not among the hundreds of millions using them already, check out Yahoo Widgets). What could you do with a widget that bundles some or all of these trends above and forms a new two-way information channel between yourself and your customers?

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While I did “blog” about the Sept. 12 deadline for submissions, it was only after reading a story in the September issue of Boards magazine entitled “Taking stock of climate change” that I came to understand stock footage provider ITN Source was making selected footage available to contributors, and that music producer Carmen Rizzo was providing original music.  By virtue of those revelations, on Sept. 5, I realized I had a chance to cobble together a respectable entry for the competition, and I therupon added this task to my To-Do list.

Like the well-trained advertising pro I am, I began by compiling a creative platform, whereupon I realized I needed to create a strong call to action that would appeal to the widest possible audience.  I made notes of ideas, including one about exploring the notion of “haves” versus “have-nots,” and contrasts between those groups (possibly showing people of power/influence expressing dissatisfaction, in contrast to people suffering hardships showing joy or appreciation), and sought-out copy from traditional wedding vows (“I take you  to be my partner for life, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…”) and an interpretation of Corinthians I 13:4-8 I deeply appreciate:  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…. Love never fails.”

I also watched what is, in my humble opinion, the world’s greatest PSA of all time:  Keep America Beautiful.  Of course, more than 35 years after its original release, it’s pretty dated… but still quite powerful, for numerous reasons, each of which I noted in my platform.

On the evening of Sept. 6, I went to Current’s site and reviewed the stock, beginning with the music.  I liked just about every track for different reasons, but I didn’t find anything that I felt was right for this.  With all due respect to the vast talents of Mr. Rizzo, many of the tracks seemed very techno, and even danceable.  Personally, I feel that simple acoustic tracks would have lent themselves better to this assignment, and yet will watch with interest to see how the provided tracks are used, knowing that one may very well add just the right dimension to the winning contribution.

Accepting that I was on my own to come up with music, I began thinking thematically… and compiling a list.  I listened to “Cool Change” from The Little River Band, to “Burning Down the House” from The Talking Heads, to “One Thing Leads to Another” from The Fixx.  All great songs with much to bring to a project like this.  With all those tracks ready on my computer, I began working on picture.

The thumbnails for the 20 or so video clips made available by ITN Source seemed to cover many of the “cause” types of visuals that are easily associated with global warming, including traffic jams, smokestacks belching pollution, deforestation, etc.  There was also some interesting “solution” imagery, like a scientist looking into a microscope, a kid clicking on a computer… but honestly, much of the stock footage I was hoping for (which you will instantly see if you go to ITN Source’s actual website) was absent, including any political figures speaking, any footage of groups of people engaging in activism or demonstrations, people talking in groups large or small, people experiencing hardships, etc.  Based upon this summary review of the available stock, I felt fairly strongly that the winning entries would probably not be composed from those selections alone.  Nonetheless, I began downloading them, and completed that process through the course of my Friday workday.

By 5pm that day, Sept. 7, I, my wife and our kids took off to join a group of five other couples and their kids for an annual ritual, where we meet at a place called Camp Merrie-Woode, which sits on Fairfield Lake in western North Carolina in a town called Sapphire.  I had my MiniDV video camera with me, and I was shooting some footage of the kids and adults boating on the lake in the Saturday afternoon sunshine.  While looking through the viewfinder, I had an epiphany and realized that this footage could fill in what was missing between my ideal shotlist and the footage provided for this competition by ITN Source.  I quickly switched from LP to SP and took some measures to stabilize the camera, wishing I hadn’t left my tripod at home. 

On Sunday evening, Sept. 9, I returned home and locked myself in my office.  Assessing my situation, I realized there was no way I could get clearance in time to use a popular music track from a major label, and was probably going to need to download something from a royalty-free online resource.  I also took stock of what I consider to be my best strengths:  concepting, copywriting and editing.  With this focus, I began trying to pin-down the voiceover copy.  The marital vows and other ideas quickly fell by the wayside as it became clear that I needed a direct plea that was as strong as possible.  But how could I make it appeal broadly, while also setting it apart creatively? 

I had already sorted the list of short descriptions for the stock footage into a sort of edit decision list, without even seeing the actual footage.  With that level of conception, I was imagining the spot coming together sort of like a newsreel from the 30s, 40s and 50s.  For inspiration, I dug out a CD-ROM of Time Magazine’s Almanac of the 20th Century and watched some of the more famous newsreels from those eras.  The style of the voiceover announcers, the booming orchestral accompaniment and the quick-punch effect of those pieces were all very helpful as I began to package my concept.

So, if I was going to do a newsreel-type PSA, having just viewed some very powerful ones documenting World War II, I started thinking that there is a very strong, almost universal disdain for the Iraq war at the moment.  What if I was to take the footage and cut together a newsreel using voiceover language that has been made infamous through political maneuvering during the I
raq war?  For example, “shock and awe,” “weapons of mass destruction,” “insurgents,” “balance of power,” “victory,” “power,” “crisis,” etc.  With this idea, over a period of less than an hour, the copy almost wrote itself. 

I knew that the music was still going to be key, and with a clear sense of wanting an orchestral piece with strong horns, I began my search online.  I may have spent an hour, two at the most, but the search was well worthwhile.  For less than $40, I was able to find the perfect track from UniqueTracks.com, and download it instantly.

I unzipped the ITN Source clips and began cutting the piece together using Adobe Premiere.  There again, by uniting the “cause” footage with the cut-down I made of the music track, the first half of the spot came together like a dream.  The second half came together, but it was definitely a case of trying to make something work without having the right footage.  I recorded the voiceover, using a sort of Britishy accent similar to one that had stuck in my mind after watching the 1940s newsreels.  The result was fun and semi-complete, but it needed polishing.

Thankfully, the footage I shot at Camp Merrie-Woode filled in the second half of the spot in a couple of crucial areas with footage that accomplished at least some of my goals… adding visions of regular people doing things that could reasonably be construed as activities related to local actions against global warming.  After getting some feedback from my wife and my friends, I re-worked my voiceover until I came up with a read-through that sounds urgent and authentic.

Yesterday, reading more of the fine print at Current’s site for this project, I realized that I needed to have signed clearance forms for everyone who appeared in my original footage — and for the music.  It took me several hours today to get the proper forms to the proper people with the proper explanations, and thankfully my producing skills served me well, as my fax machine delivered signed versions of every last piece of required paperwork before 9pm this evening.  After doublechecking the spot’s timing, I uploaded it to Current’s site by 9:30pm, and will now await the findings of the celebrity judges — including Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, Orlando Bloom, Rihanna, Sam Mendes, Alex Bogusky, Joe Pytka and others — and then, the voters on Current’s site. 

And here, I ask you to please wish me and the other contributors luck… in fulfilling our mutual goal of driving others to join the fight in reversing the adverse effects of global warming.  It’s a wrap….

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