Denver has embarked on a new $3 million advertising campaign aimed at empowering residents to take action against climate change. The campaign, which rolled out last week, seeks to create a sense of community involvement and momentum in the effort to combat environmental issues.
The advertisements are being displayed across various platforms, including billboards, bus shelters, and social media, and they appear in both English and Spanish. Each ad features visually compelling images accompanied by the slogan: “Do more. Do less. Do something.” Some ads depict bicycles and electric cars, suggesting practical steps residents might take to support the city’s environmental objectives. Others showcase cheerful individuals alongside messages like “not today, apocalypse” or edit the word “doom” down to “do.”
While many environmental advocates praise the campaign’s potential, it has also sparked debate within the community regarding its effectiveness. Some critics argue that the ad campaign is a misallocation of resources, suggesting that funding should instead go toward physical infrastructure improvements that could facilitate climate action.
Jill Locantore, executive director of the Denver Streets Partnership, expressed this sentiment clearly. She stated, “A lot of people want to walk and bike and take transit more. The reason they don’t is that it’s not safe or practical. It’s a waste of money to tell people to do something they aren’t actually able to do.”
However, Denver’s climate leaders, including Elizabeth Babcock, executive director of the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience, assert that marketing plays a critical role in driving climate initiatives. They argue that the fossil fuel industry has historically utilized ads to sidetrack climate action.
One notable example is BP’s investment of over $100 million in a campaign promoting carbon footprint calculations, which critics claim shifted responsibility for climate change from corporations to individuals. “It’s obviously a very powerful tool because if it weren’t, they wouldn’t be investing so much money in those types of efforts,” Babcock noted.
In Colorado, groups funded by major oil and gas producers spend approximately $8 million annually on awareness campaigns about the benefits of fossil fuels. As a countermeasure, Babcock believes Denver’s campaign can provide a needed balance to these messages, which she says distract the public from reasonable climate solutions.
The city funded this campaign with revenue generated from a .25 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2020, despite some critics arguing that a regressive tax disproportionately affects low-income residents. Over the past few years, Denver has allocated about $45 million annually to climate programs, providing popular initiatives such as e-bike rebates, tree planting, solar installations, and transitioning buildings away from fossil fuels.
In response to critics like Locantore, Babcock clarified that her office does consider investing in bike lanes and transit but has prioritized funding for quicker, more impactful emission-reduction projects. Her perspective emphasizes the importance of a multi-faceted approach to climate action.
Advocacy within climate circles often revolves around the effectiveness of individual actions versus holding corporations and governments accountable. Ean Thomas Tafoya, the state programs director of GreenLatinos, sees no conflict in either approach. He believes that individuals can engage in climate-friendly practices while also advocating for systemic changes.
He expressed enthusiasm for the campaign’s promotion of public involvement, emphasizing its multilingual outreach strategy to boost participation in existing city climate programs. “I just want to remind people that they can also participate in public hearings, that they can submit emails and written comments,” Tafoya said.
The overarching aim of the campaign is to foster a collective sense of responsibility among residents. To execute this vision, Denver partnered with local creative agency Sukle, which has a history of successful public awareness projects. About half of the $1.8 million already spent on the campaign has gone toward agency fees, with the remainder allocated to paid media, various event partnerships, branded installations, and evaluation efforts.
Sukle gained recognition for its past campaigns, notably the Denver Water initiative that prompted residents to conserve water. The impact was significant, with water usage decreasing by 20% between 2001 and 2016, despite a 15% population increase.
Mike Sukle, the agency’s chief creative officer, emphasized the success of their approach, stating, “We don’t just tell them what to do. We help give them things to do.” These initiatives capitalize on research revealing that social comparison can effectively encourage sustainable behaviors.
The current campaign encourages residents to undertake small actions that, in turn, could establish a social expectation among their peers to contribute to climate efforts. To facilitate this, the campaign has sought collaborations, including a line of used clothing with Goodwill emblazoned with its messages, and plans for branded pedicabs offering rides at sports venues.
Sukle highlighted the importance of keeping climate issues at the forefront of public consciousness, noting that individuals need to be reminded continually about their daily actions’ impact on the climate.
By fostering awareness and participation, the city aims to cultivate a proactive attitude toward climate action among its residents. Whether this campaign will succeed in building a broad-based movement for climate action remains to be seen, but the dialogue it has sparked demonstrates the complexity of addressing climate change and the various avenues available to engage community members.
image source from：denverite
