Billboards

It’s impossible to take a road trip in America and not be visually assaulted by billboards. They increase in number and ugliness each year with no signs of slowing down.

Our recent road trip to the East Coast was no exception. Deals from law firms, commands to find God or Jesus and condemnation of women’s choice lead the pack. After 900+ miles of scams and commandments, I was getting weary. And then a refreshing billboard appeared.

While searching for a gas station off the freeway in Pittsburgh, this caught my eye. I smiled instantly and laughed out loud. Finally, a positive and humorous message about a serious topic.

461 miles down the road on Interstate 294 in Chicago, another billboard stood out from all the rest.

Now I was curious to find the source of these witty, environmental messages. Since I was not the DD at the moment, I searched my iPad to discover that a global non-profit, WildAid, is the creator of the ad campaign. (Charity Navigator gives them a 100% rating.) Their mission is “to inspire change and empower the world to protect wildlife and habitats from critical threats”.

Their newly launched campaign targets climate change. Billboards will appear in over 50 American cities with messages that offer “viable solutions to quell eco-anxiety through personal and collective action to benefit the climate.” The target audience is GenZ, those born between 1997 and 2012. Research suggests that 77% of GenZ believes that “lifestyle changes are vital to make an impact on climate change.” They also feel hopeless and alone.

Instead of the usual images of wildfires, floods or droughts, WildAid will focus on lifestyle changes that anyone can make. They offer the possibility that small acts done collectively can bring needed change.
I heartily concur. It is always better to be doing something than to be a paradigm of doom and gloom.

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