"True Cost of Chevron"
Launches New Website
and Ad Blitz
Ads accompanying launch
rejected by CBS.
May 22, 2009
Media Contact:
Nick Magel, 419-283-2728
nick@amazonwatch.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco – The True Cost of Chevron Campaign today launched a new website as a hub of information on Chevron's global toxic operations. The website truecostofchevron.com highlights Chevron's human and environmental consequences around the world while illustrating the unprecedented coalition against Chevron.
"We are excited to launch this comprehensive site illustrating the breadth of Chevron's destructive operations globally," said Nick Magel, True Cost of Chevron media coordinator. While numerous countries are already profiled on truecostofchevron.com we hope the site can also act as a hub to expand the coalitions work and support other communities living with Chevron's toxic legacy."
The website launch was to be coupled with an ad campaign, intended to highlight communities affected by Chevrons operations. The ads, designed as parodies of Chevron's "Will You Join Us" advertisement blitz were immediately rejected by CBS Outdoor.
The ad submitted to CBS Outdoor featured the website truecostofchevron.org and a parody of Chevron's "Will You Join Us" ad campaign. Instead of Chevron's ads with taglines such as "I will drive less", the campaign submitted an ad with an Ecuadorian woman telling Chevron "I will try not to have a miscarriage", highlighting the high rates of miscarriage that are related to Chevron's massive environmental contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
"Chevron is running a campaign that's merely window-dressing their dismal environmental and human rights record. It's hypocritical for CBS to reject our billboards. It's a shame that we can't help our client tell their story with a billboard or two." said Charlie Cardillo, President and Creative Director of Underground Advertising, the agency that developed the campaign."
The ads come only days before May 26 release of, "The True Cost of Chevron: an Alternative Annual Report" and Chevron Annual Shareholder meeting on May 27.
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