Harry and Louise Go to Kyoto
U.N. Map , produced
by Goddard*Claussen/First Tuesday for the Global Climate Information
Project.
The ad agency that helped
scuttle Clinton's health plan with the "Harry and Louise" spots is back with an
attack on the global-warming treaty, which is scheduled to be signed next month
in Kyoto, Japan. U.N. Map , produced by Goddard*Claussen/First Tuesday,
is different in style from the "Harry and Louise" spots, but similar in
fundamentals. Its message is simple and populist, and its visual elements
linger in the viewer's mind long after the ad ends.
The first shot is a
graphic--"The World According to the U.N."--which exploits the national
anti-U.N. suspicion that "good" Americans will always be outsmarted by "clever"
foreigners. The isolationism that prevailed until 60 years ago was rooted
in--and reinforced--that belief, and it has yet to fade. Why does the United
Nations vote against us when we pay most of the bills?
The graphic dissolves to a
world map, and a hand appears to grasp a pair of scissors. The voice-over
informs us that the United States is "preparing to sign" the global-warming
treaty and the image warns us that there's a catch--or a cut. Just as campaign
spots confer legitimacy to their charges by citing a source, this one quotes
the United Nations as saying that 132 countries will be exempt from the treaty.
The scissors snip China, India, Algeria, and Mexico out of the map to reinforce
the point. The United States will be "forced to make drastic cuts in energy,"
the spot says, while these other countries do nothing.
Brazil--and later,
Thailand--are clipped out for good measure. The free riders are all Asian,
North African, or Latin American. Sub-Saharan African nations, which are also
exempt from the emissions portions of the treaty, aren't singled out. One
reason may be that the sponsors of the spot include the Black Chamber of
Commerce. Another is that all but the most xenophobic Americans recognize that
Africa is so economically desperate that it can't afford to sacrifice
anything.
Citing sources again--the
United Nations and the U.S. Department of Energy--the voice-over explains that
the exempt nations are "responsible for almost half the world's emissions." In
fact, the treaty does shield the developing world on the grounds that advanced
economies like the United States and Europe have already harvested more than
their share of the gains from industrialization.
U.N. Map suggests
that the treaty is a hidden form of foreign aid--one of the most unpopular of
all federal programs. The Senate has already voted 95-0 against an exemption
for developing nations, although the resolution was carefully worded not to
demand equal cutbacks for those nations because this would leave many
low-energy-consuming countries with little or no right to burn any fuel.
As the hands hold up the map
with gaping holes where there were once nations, the viewer assumes that the
United States has been played for a sucker again. No wonder the Clinton
administration has been debating whether it should even send Al Gore to the
Kyoto conference.
The ad offers to provide
additional "facts" with a toll-free number (888-54FACTS) and a Web address
(www.climatefacts.org). The list of sponsoring organizations goes beyond auto
manufacturers, who are almost certainly paying the bulk of the broadcast costs,
to include farmers, blacks, and small business. There are other sponsors not
cited here: the AFL-CIO and the National Association of Manufacturers, who find
themselves in rare agreement. For big business, populism has its occasional
uses.
Broadcasters are required to
accept ads for candidates, but not for issues. CNN briefly refused to continue
running this spot because, the sponsors alleged, Ted Turner's wife, Jane Fonda,
didn't approve. The network denied that accusation and the spot is back on CNN,
but it understandably infuriates environmentalists. Depending on your point of
view, the ad is either edgy or diabolical. But nobody can deny its
effectiveness. A map with holes in it is a mnemonic for the global-warming
treaty and its supposedly glaring loopholes. Whenever viewers hear of the
treaty again, the first thing they're likely to think of is that map--just as
the phrase "Clinton health plan" came to trigger the picture of Harry and
Louise being denied the right to choose their own doctor.
The health plan lost. If
this spot is any indication, so will the treaty. Complex proposals and
positions don't fare well in the arena of 30-second debates--especially when
the negative spots are as well done as this one and as well grounded in
ingrained popular attitudes. So look for warmer weather ahead.
--Robert
Shrum
