You are quickly browsing through the New York Times pages probably on the way to work or on a lunch break. You turn the page and voila! you see a huge scribble or a cryptic image followed by rather dull headline and a massive block of corporate copy.

These IBM ads are part of the ”Conversations for a smarter planet” campaign. Would you feel interested enough to stop in your tracks and dip into the lengthy message?  

The idea of a “Conversations for a smarter planet” green campaign is brilliant and well intentioned, the execution… in my opinion, not so much. Ad images are meant to be relevant and engaging, grab your attention and draw you into reading the copy, and hopefully you will take some action such as visiting a website. But these images, although eye-catching, in my opinion, are neither relevant nor engaging. Would you invest your time in figuring out the meaning of a scribble or an abstract icon?

IBM if you want to engage and “educate” your audience, make it easier for them to understand your message. Make sure the reader actually wants to read your message.

However well intentioned, these corporate-sponsored environmental claims are unlikely to be taken too seriously these days.

Joe Makower from The Energy Collective wrote an insightful story about this IBM ad campaign that explains its goals and strategy and includes interviews with Rich Lechner, IBM’s VP of Energy and Environment and John Kennedy, VP of Integrated Marketing Communications.

Ad visuals are supposed to entice you to read the message. Looking at this image, I doubt most readers will venture further to read the heavy copy. IBM’s highly stylized visual is getting in the way of the communication rather than leading to it. “Setting the table for a smarter planet” is a message full of promise that is in no way supported by this confusing image.

Puzzling

The Shell ad

I like the friendly, easy-to-understand, eye catching illustration. The headline, it’s a little long with a big statement “…we’ll need to think the impossible is possible” and then the copy talks about CO2 and CCS technology, but nothing really makes a direct connection with our lives. So they talk about processes and technology, but in my opinion, the human connection is missing, and so is its effectiveness. I’m not sure a lot of people will be motivated to go to the website to find out how “Shell is helping prepare for the new energy future”.

The Sharp ad

It starts with a logo (good thing). Lengthy headline, but interesting fact. But the copy is boring and also way too long. Corporate verbiage such as, “To power the world on solar energy is an ambitious endeavor,” really doesn’t say much neither does it connect with the average fellow. I really don’t care if “you are ready for the change”. Just say you produce “over a quarter of the Earth’s total supply of solar cells.” Don’t bury it in fluffy copy. The layout is also very corporate and boring; it falls way short. The photo of the solar panels is so generic; it takes the power of the message away. I would it make a connection between what people think of the brand Sharp (electronics) with the other side of what Sharp is: a powerful player in clean energy. As they say: “Keep it simple…”

The IBM ad

I love this layout. So avant-garde, graphic, clean and Paul Rand-like. Too bad the illustration although beautiful, is hard to understand for the average fellow. It took me a while to realize it was a car on a maze. I like the headline too: “The roads to a smarter planet.” Nice. Too bad the first line of copy starts with: “In 2007, the world crossed an epochal threshold.” This really sets the wrong tone to tell a “smart” story. The explanations that follow make up a salad of cumbersome data and percentages. I just don’t buy it, sorry. The lBM logo sideways? Not so smart. These days, the key to communication is simplicity, authenticity, relevance, and above all, the connection. Step down from your pedestals guys, and talk to the people at their level. That’s how they like it and how they are doing it online.

It’s late. I’m going to sleep.

Please let us know your thoughts on these ads and green branding in general. To the ad creators, feel free to add your credits and comments.