Al Gore’s Penguin Army Sheds Light on Exxon PR

By | August 7th, 2006 9 Comments

exxon_linux.jpgIf you’re familiar with the infamous “CO2: We Call it Life” advertisements put out by CEI, then you’ll find “Al Gore’s Penguin Army” much less funny (it stinks, actually), but no less odd.
All you need to know is the film was not produced by amateurs. It’s an example of “astroturf”, a production meant to look like it came from some quirky individual but actually originating from a PR firm and quietly posted onto “YouTube”, the popular video hosting site. A Wall Street Journal investigation discovered that the film was actually engineered (at great expense most likely) by public relations firm DCI who “just happen” to count Exxon among their larger clients. Though this doesn’t prove Exxon was directly involved, the word on the street is leaning pretty strongly in that direction.
This video is so bad and has been met with such negative response that it proves that global warming denialists are on their last legs. But why is Exxon’s PR firm still spending time and money to pretend that global warming is a spoof?
DCI are probably no dummies and are certainly monitoring the reaction to their experiment. What sorts of conclusions will they draw? Will they decide that it’s time for Exxon to make a bold statement accepting global warming as a problem and proclaiming the company’s intention to follow in the footsteps of BP and Shell in pursuing alternative sources of energy? Or have they decided that Exxon’s best interest lies in being the maverick denialist who fights cowboy-style to the bitter end?
And on a humorous side-note – will the guys who created Linux sue?

9 Comments

Categorized: Greenwashing|

  • http://www.organicarchitect.com Eric Corey Freed

    The best part of that YouTube video are the comments at the bottom of the page. Be sure to take a look!

    On the one side are all of the links showing how this video was a PR campaign by Exxon (those greedy bastards).

    On the other side are these rebuttal posts, supposedly by the “individuals” who made the video. I am often so disappointed in how badly people argue.

    So how do they denounce global warming and the film, “An Inconvenient Truth”? Well, they link to a USA Today article pointing out how “evil” Al Gore is for driving a car and flying in airplanes.

    Typical Republican tatic: evade the real issue by attacking the character of opposition.

    My only hope for this planet: that the evil Exxon exec who made the decision, “Let’s make a fake viral video to denounce global warming…” – that they will be the first to drown in the rising ocean waters.

  • http://www.crossprofit.com CrossProfit

    Eric-
    I do not wish for any past and future Holocaust ‘denialist’ to drown in the rising ocean waters. May G-D bless them with earthly health and heavenly strength to paddle you and me to safety!
    Apparently wisdom and foresight is reserved for the divine.

  • GodsProfit

    Or, you could quit looking for someone to blame, or some supernatural superman to save you, start walking, biking, and boycotting oil companies.
    If that sounds too drastic, when it’s possible to bike, bike, when it’s possible to take the bus, do so, and when those don’t work, you can drive. Believe it or not, its not difficult. Stranger yet, onec you get into it, most people find they like it.

  • john Laumer

    After decades of living under a corporate culture of denial, it’s easy to imagine a minion or ten dragging this backage to the last station. The tactical rope is at end, however. There are no more operationally secure and widely effective denial methods available to the holdhouts. Even Patrick Micheals has been officially dethroned: he was officially asked to not claim the title of ‘State Climatologist’ of VA in his role as “consulant” to the fossil fuel lobby. Not that the deniers will ever stop trying.

  • grueneerde

    I am looking for the two ads of CEI (The Competitive Institute). I need the video-documents for educational work (it’s not possible to be online, when I will use it).
    Are there any possibilities to get those ads (web-sites, via email, video-stream-ripping, etc.). I am using a macintosh.
    Looking forward for your answers!

  • iRobt
  • Sven

    For all of you who are interested in scientific facts rather than propaganda, I suggest you read this:
    http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

  • Damien

    Hi Sven! not much of a thinker are you?

  • David

    Man I can’t wait. I just bought what will soon be beach front property in Nevada. I am soooo convinced that the Oceans will rise due to the ice cap melt. I hope that I didn’t wast my money. I suggest that the rest of you do the same. If you are having trouble finding the best opportunity’s in Nevada or else ware feel free to contact me. I will sell some of what I purchased. Come on you have confidence in your opinion don’t you? You useful idiots! (A Lenin quote) The flick is a satire “Damien” as is this, think about it.