Activists blacken thousands of loonies to protest against oil tankers
VANCOUVER (February 2, 2009) BC’s Dogwood Initiative has found an inventive way to circulate their message – by using $1 “Loonie” coins.
The Victoria-based environmental organization is distributing 200,000 cling decals that simulate an oil spill when applied to the iconic loon. The campaign is designed to alert Canadians of their government’s support of oil proposals that threaten BC’s northern coast.
The decals direct people to notankers.ca, where they can sign a petition asking the Canadian government to legislate a permanent ban on oil tankers in BC’s Hecate Strait, Queen Charlotte Sound and Douglas Channel.
“We need to make people aware of what’s being proposed, and the devastating effect an oil spill would have on our coast” says Charles Campbell, Communications Director for the Dogwood Initiative.
Working with a limited budget, the Dogwood Initiative sought an attention-grabbing idea that didn’t rely on paid media space. The decals are being circulated directly through the Dogwood Initiative and partners including Ottawa’s Bridgehead Coffee houses and Denman Island Chocolate. The campaign cost less than $10,000 to produce.
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