Morgan Clendaniel
Deputy Editor
- October 18, 2010 • 6:30 am PDT
- 7
The oil company Chevron appears to have been targeted by noted culture jammers the Yes Men, who have spoofed Chevron's recent "We Agree" campaign, with a website about how Chevron agrees that oil companies should "clean up their messes," "fix the problems they create," and "put safety first." Here is what they said in the (fake) press release:
"Oil Companies Should Clean Up Their Messes," reads one ad; the small print refers candidly to the damage done by oil companies around the world. "For decades, oil companies like ours have worked in disadvantaged areas, influencing policy in order to do there what we can't do at home. It's time this changed."
Another ad, "Oil Companies Should Fix The Problems They Create," is just as topical. "Extracting oil from the Earth is a risky process, and mistakes do happen. It’s easy to pass the blame or ignore the mistakes we’ve made. Instead, we need to face them head on, accept our financial and environmental responsibilities, and fund new technologies to avoid these mistakes in the future."
"We were asked to show an agreeable, involved, of-the-people face for Chevron, and we think we came up with some really great ways of doing that," said Gordon Bowen, Chief Creative Officer of McGarryBowen. "But what’s unique and different here is the honesty. We've never been able to do this before."
"We're telling truths no one usually tells," said Zygocki. "We're changing the way the whole industry speaks."
"BP's response to the Gulf tragedy was widely perceived as perfunctory and insincere," noted Bowen. "Chevron has big problems too, like in Ecuador - but they're really stepping up to the plate."
Chevron's real "We Agree" campaign features videos of regular folks expressing what they think the oil company should do and Chevron agreeing. You can watch them all here. The website has all the marks of a Yes Man campaign—like their most recent against the Chamber of Commerce—including a fake press release sent under a somewhat-off domain name (chevron-press.com, in this case) and the absurd press spokesman name (Giles Vechny, for this one).
You can read the full press release here. We'll get you more information, from the Yes Men or Chevron, as the day goes on.
#Chervon says oil comp should fix the problems they create, take financial & enviro responsibi
#Thankful: Chevron Gets the Yes Men Treatment
Chevron agrees that oil companies should fix the problems they create thanks, Yes Men
#good Chevron Gets the Yes Men Treatment: The oil company Chevron appears to have been targeted by noted culture...
Chevron Gets the Yes Men Treatment: The oil company Chevron appears to have been targeted by noted culture jamme...
Chevron Gets the Yes Men Treatment
Chevron Gets the Yes Men Treatment