Expect to see ethanol advertising saturating the airwaves over the next few months.
Growth Energy and POET both announced major television advertising campaigns this morning that will air on major cable television networks, including Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN. The POET campaign includes three ads, each representing a different aspect of ethanol production with a farmer, a scientist and a plant manager reciting free-verse poetry explaining their role in helping solve our nation’s fuel crisis.
Growth Energy, which is co-chaired by POET CEO Jeff Broin, introduced a $2.5 million campaign with six television spots during a live webcast from Washington DC this morning. Co-chairman General Wesley Clark, advisory board member Jim Nussle and CEO Tom Buis joined together for the announcement.
“This is a dramatic step for domestic ethanol, it is a first for our industry,” Buis announced. “Never before has American ethanol developed a sustained TV ad campaign.”
“With this ad campaign, we’re going to make the case for America’s fuel – for ethanol – and it’s a forceful case for ending our addiction to foreign oil,” said Clark. “I think TV is the best way to shape public opinion.”
“American ethanol is engaging the nation in a way that has never been done before,” Nussle added. “America’s ethanol industry hopes to engage the American people in the conversation about America’s energy security.”
The campaign is called “America’s Fuel” and each of the six spots focuses on a particular message about ethanol: Independent, Clean, Renewable, Peace, Sensible and Economic. The spots began airing at 6 a.m. today and will continue for six months.
But “America’s Fuel” will have some competition from “Brazil’s Fuel” as the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) also launched a campaign today aimed at explaining the benefits of sugarcane ethanol. UNICA’s campaign includes a new website, SweeterAlternative.com, online, print and radio advertising, new research and a high-profile partnership with the Indy Racing League.
Listen to the opening statements from the Growth Energy press conference in the player below: