Does Greenpeace use social media better than Shell?

Last week, Greenpeace gave us "Shell Oil Disaster Video" and everyone was fooled. They even did a "making of," which you can read about here , although it would have been better to have released a making-of video for more content as people don't read that much (duh!)

Now Greenpeace is gettin' all meme and bringing us a bizarro Shell Website, called Arctic Ready, with tongue firmly planted in juvenile cheek.

It imagines world in which Shell would dare crowdsource a Pro-Arctic Drilling campaign, and the natural results that would ensue from snarky environmentally friendly people. This is of course in response to Shell's attempt to Greenwash itself with by pointing the fact it's not only relying on oil but natural gas and ethanol as alternate fuels.

Greenpeace of course is having none of it. Evil corporations are always evil. They can't change and any gesture they make is only slight of hand. This website parody is clever. No doubt they had a lot of fun writing them. Because spoof ads are always fun. Especially with activist causes. You read them and laugh and go "I know, riiiiight?!" And then you share the ha ha with your mates. And you even get the chance to make your own. Because naturally when someone tells you to participate in a meme you just go ahead and do it, right?

The problem with spoof ads is the same problem with memes in general. They get a big spike in awareness very quickly, and then they die off quicker than an Eskimo Curlew.

And no matter how well they are written, memes are designed to be forgotten. Case in point-- when's the last time anyone talked about Shit Girls Say? Or Snakes On A Plane?
And those are things that are light and frivolous with no merit beyond entertainment.

So hats off on one hand to Greenpeace for attempting to do something funny, but I can't help but think the pendulum swung a bit too far. In using the meme language you showed relevancy, but I think you're guilty of being too clever on this one.src="adland.tv/hell-fail-private-artic-launch-party-goes-wrong-staged-video"> "Shell Oil Disaster Video" and everyone was fooled. They even did a "making of," which you can read about here , although it would have been better to have released a making-of video for more content as people don't read that much (duh!)

Now Greenpeace is gettin' all meme and bringing us a bizarro Shell Website, called Arctic Ready, with tongue firmly planted in juvenile cheek.

It imagines world in which Shell would dare crowdsource a Pro-Arctic Drilling campaign, and the natural results that would ensue from snarky environmentally friendly people. This is of course in response to Shell's attempt to Greenwash itself with by pointing the fact it's not only relying on oil but natural gas and ethanol as alternate fuels.

Greenpeace of course is having none of it. Evil corporations are always evil. They can't change and any gesture they make is only slight of hand. This website parody is clever. No doubt they had a lot of fun writing them. Because spoof ads are always fun. Especially with activist causes. You read them and laugh and go "I know, riiiiight?!" And then you share the ha ha with your mates. And you even get the chance to make your own. Because naturally when someone tells you to participate in a meme you just go ahead and do it, right?

The problem with spoof ads is the same problem with memes in general. They get a big spike in awareness very quickly, and then they die off quicker than an Eskimo Curlew.

And no matter how well they are written, memes are designed to be forgotten. Case in point-- when's the last time anyone talked about Shit Girls Say? Or Snakes On A Plane?
And those are things that are light and frivolous with no merit beyond entertainment.

So hats off on one hand to Greenpeace for attempting to do something funny, but I can't help but think the pendulum swung a bit too far. In using the meme language you showed relevancy, but I think you're guilty of being too clever on this one.