SOCIAL IMPRESSIONS

Yesterday was the first day this week that I got the chance to watch some television. While channel surfing, I settled on “30 Rock.” The first thing I noticed was the green NBC logo in the bottom left corner. As the show progressed, the environment-friendly theme became more evident. Al Gore had a cameo role where he spoke about going green, and David Schwimmer acted as the eco-maniac “Greenzo” who tried to educate kids about conserving energy. Apparently, “30 Rock” was only one of the many shows offered on NBC Universal’s network that featured environmentally-themed content.

I decided to engage my colleagues in a dialogue regarding NBC’s effort to build awareness about adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle. First, I asked if they had noticed that this was NBC’s “Green Week.” Some casually noticed that the Peacock was a different color, and that their favorite shows contained some green-related content. However, these subtlties didn’t really garner their full attention. Strike one: NBC’s promotional efforts were lacking. The level of awareness about “Green Week” was limited, at least in my circle of thirty people.

Other questions I asked my collegues were about the impact of NBC’s “Green Week” on their current lifestyles. Did Al Gore’s guest appearance on “30 Rock” and “The Biggest Loser” contestant competing in the dark force people to examine the current environmental crisis? Were they motivated to recycle, conserve energy or make other eco-friendly decisions? The response was a resounding no. They felt that the shows poked fun and trivialized the environmental issue. Strike two: NBC appears to be capitalizing on the latest trend in America of being environmentally conscious. Their efforts don’t seem to be genuine but a ploy to boost ratings.

Just like me, my colleagues are cynics. They wonder why NBC jumped on this bandwagon now and only limited their efforts to one week. If they are genuinely concerned about the environment, wouldn’t they continue to push this initiative year-long? Is this more for their advertisers who want to promote their eco-friendly products than it is to educate the public? Although NBC had two strikes, they aren’t out yet. My colleagues lambasted NBC for their seemingly self-serving efforts, but the effort prompted a heavy online discussion about being green. Even if viewers didn’t notice the changed logo or the green-heavy advertising and show content before, they evidently know all about it now…