The Yes Men justify the spoof by saying:
"Chevron is responsible for one of the largest environmental disasters in history. Rather than take responsibility for its oil pollution in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, however, the oil giant is waging unprecedented legal, public relations, and lobbying campaigns to avoid having to clean up environmental and public health catastrophes that continue today."
The Yes Men then challenge their audience to take action:
"Angry and frustrated that oil companies like Chevron think they can ignore their environmental and human rights abuses while cleaning up their image with high-cost ad campaigns? We agree! Enter our contest now and help hold Chevron accountable by making sure the company doesn’t get away with its greenwash."
The Yes Men have once again challenged big business to make a change by creating awareness of the corruption of power. They are showing that Chevron can't make an ad saying that they're going to try to better the world while their actions show otherwise.
I think that the Yes Men have definitely been on to something for a while. They have a great way to show people how easily we believe all the information out there. I do think that they have even more of an opportunity to create a lasting impact if they find another way to market themselves. One major thing I think about is how they go about making these videos. In becoming impostors and often times doing things illegally I do think that they lose some of their credibility. While they do raise awareness and gain much support, they are still in a way becoming the very thing they are trying to stop. If they could find a way to be legal and bold at the same time they would probably have a longer lasting and larger impact overall.
ReplyDeleteWith online information people can research and spread information faster. I think many companies fail to know that they need to moderate their actions so the public doesn't re-imagine their brand.
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