Earth Hour

Lisa asked me to remind everyone in my 'Sweet Home Chicago' to participate in Earth Hour tonight (March 29th) at 8 p.m. Turn out your lights for one hour. Earth Hour.

As you may or may not know, Starcom has joined forces with Leo Burnett and Tapestry on Earth Hour – a major event designed to make a positive environmental impact on the city of Chicago and in all participating cities around the world. Below is an update of the most recent activities:

Chicago's Skyline Update

Here are just a few of the key Chicago skyline buildings who have confirmed participation - Navy Pier is turning off the 16,000 lights on the famous Ferris Wheel. The Sears Tower, Adler Planetarium, John Hancock building, Merchandise Mart, Hard Rock Café, The Drake Hotel, Wrigley Field and Soldier Field are all turning off exterior lighting. The Oriental, LaSalle, Auditorium, Chicago and Goodman theaters are all switching off their outdoor marquees.

The theatre community is being very creative with their interpretation of the Earth Hour theme – following Blue Man Group's role in our TV PSA, the cast of "Wicked" will now also be performing scenes from their show on the street, on Earth Hour night.

Central and local restaurants and bars in the city are also getting into the spirit of Earth Hour – one example is the Weather Mark Tavern who are creating a special Earth Hour-themed evening. Another coalition of independent restaurants is creating a 'green' menu for the night, which will consume less energy to produce. Schools and colleges all over Chicago are arranging in-school events and assemblies about Earth hour. If your family is interested to know more, www.earthhour.org is full of information and advice aimed at schools.

Big Brands on Board

I'm happy to tell you all that Burnett client McDonald's has shown us maximum support by confirming that they will be participating in all 485 outlets. Our client Walgreens is also on board and is creating a dedicated promotion, which you should start seeing in your neighborhood soon.