CHEVY VOLT CARBON REDUCTION INITIATIVE
The largest corporate carbon program in the country, and nobody could picture it.
A spot for Chevrolet's $40 million Carbon Reduction Initiative, made to prove the Volt wasn't the only story.
:60 TV SPOT
THE CHALLENGE
Chevrolet was launching the Volt in 2010 to buyers who weren't considering Chevy. A corporate carbon program is the obvious proof of commitment and also the least believable thing a car company can put in a spot. Offsets are abstract, the numbers are enormous, and nobody trusts an automaker talking about metric tons.
WHERE I CAME IN
Made the number something you could see. Eight million metric tons of CO2 means nothing to anyone. So the spot went to the projects: campus energy efficiency upgrades, truckers cutting idling time. Specific places, specific people. The scale of the commitment is the claim, but what makes it believable is seeing one building and one driver.
LONG FORM WEB VIDEO
ROLE
Creative Director, Concept
CLIENT: Chevrolet
AGENCY: SS+K
SCOPE: TV Spot, Web film
IMPACT
Chevrolet became the largest US corporate buyer of voluntary carbon credits for two consecutive years
The initiative reached its 8 million metric ton target by 2015
It pioneered carbon credit methodologies for universities that outlasted the program
In addition, we created educational videos for dealerships that explained the Volt's complex EPA ratings. With two fuel sources—electric and gasoline—the Volt had confusing efficiency numbers: 93 MPGe electric-only, 37 MPG gas-only, and 60 MPG combined. The videos broke down these ratings in clear, accessible terms, helping sales teams and customers understand the vehicle's unique capabilities.