Contact: Mark Graul
mgraul@arenastrategy.com
920-217-3524
Growth Energy holds “premiere” party with Wisconsin ethanol supporters in State Capitol to launch “America’s Fuel” ad campaign
Madison, WI – Wisconsin’s biofuels backers are cheering a new release coming soon to a television set near you. For the first time ever, the American ethanol industry is launching a sustained, national advertising campaign to extol the benefits of renewable, domestic ethanol as an alternative to imported petroleum.
Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters that created the ad buy, and the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance hosted a “commercial premiere” event in the State Capitol in Madison this morning to debut six new commercials that will be running as part of a $2.5 million national advertising effort they are calling the “America’s Fuel” campaign.
“Ethanol is America’s fuel: it’s made here in the U.S., it creates U.S. jobs, and it contributes to America’s national and economic security. This ad campaign is designed to communicate those facts about ethanol to the broader American public – people who too often only hear one side of the story,” said (Ret.) Gen. Wesley K. Clark, Co-Chairman of Growth Energy.
“Wisconsin is positioned to be a leader in the development of biofuels that will be good for our economy, our environment and our effort to become more energy independent,” said Josh Morby, executive director of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance. “It’s time the public got some simple facts about ethanol and these ads do just that.”
Growth Energy and Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance representatives were joined at the event by the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association and other ethanol supporters.
“Wisconsin farmers are proud to grow corn for food, feed and fuel,” said Brian Long, Weyauwega, president of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association. “We hope this ad campaign will help lead more Americans to embrace expanded use of America’s fuel – and move away from expensive foreign oil.”
The event in Wisconsin was one of 10 events held around the country on Monday to celebrate the “America’s Fuel” campaign.
The six-month campaign will air on four cable networks: Fox, MSNBC, CNN and HLN (formerly Headline News). More than half of the spots are in primetime, with the rest airing on shows – such as Larry King Live, Morning Joe, and Fox and Friends.
The spots began airing at 6 a.m. today on all four networks. Each of the six spots focuses on a particular message about ethanol: Independent, Clean, Renewable, Peace, Sensible and Economic.
The spots are also available for viewing and download on Growth Energy’s website at http://www.GrowthEnergy.org/ads.
AD SCRIPTS
America’s Fuel
Transcripts
No beaches have been closed due to ethanol spills: ethanol, America’s CLEAN fuel
Ethanol has not shipped a single job overseas: ethanol, America’s ECONOMIC fuel
No U.S. soldiers have been deployed to defend our ethanol reserves: ethanol, America’s INDEPENDENT fuel
No wars have ever been fought over ethanol: ethanol, America’s PEACE fuel
We won’t have to wait millions of years to replenish our ethanol reserves: ethanol, America’s RENEWABLE fuel
Ethanol has contributed $0 to the governments of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela: ethanol, America’s SENSIBLE fuel
FACT SHEET – Growth Energy 2010 National TV Ad Campaign
This is the first ever national TV ad campaign by the ethanol industry. Ethanol is America’s fuel, and Growth Energy’s mission is to communicate that fact to audiences that are either unfamiliar with ethanol, or have only heard Big Oil’s side of the story.
Paid TV advertising is the most effective way to reach these audiences, particularly on the East and West coasts, and counter the messages in oil’s multi-million dollar ad campaigns.
* Growth Energy’s $2.5 million campaign will run on four national cable TV news networks: Fox News, CNN, HLN (formerly Headline News) and MSNBC. The ads will run over a six month period, in four three-week flights, and at the same time Congress is in session.
* More than half of the spot weight is in prime time, with non-prime time spots placed on high-profile shows with major audience draw, including Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
* Growth Energy is primarily running 3 x :30 second spots, which consist of combinations of :15 second spots aired back-to-back. Each spot has a message highlighting ethanol’s positive attributes: Peace, Sensible, Independent, Economic, Clean and Renewable.
* As President Obama outlined in his March 31 speech at Andrews AFB, the Congress and Administration must embrace policies that encourage “homegrown” fuels – like ethanol. These ads are starting to air just as Washington, DC, is renewing its conversation on energy policy.
* The spot placements are designed to give us maximum exposure to “decision-makers” – people who are engaged in their lives and in the world, and are plugged into news and what’s happening in DC. And cable is the country’s water cooler; it drives stories and gets people talking.
* Weekly weight of the campaign on these news networks is comparable to what is going on the air from other major advertisers, including ExxonMobil, Cargill and Valero.
###
About Growth Energy
Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home. More information can be found at GrowthEnergy.org .
About Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance
The Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance is a diverse group of businesses, environmental groups, and statewide and local organizations that have come together to build both public and legislative awareness of the Bio Industry in Wisconsin. For more information about the Alliance please visit our website: http://www.wisconsinbioindustry.com.
About Wisconsin Corn Growers Association
WCGA is a membership organization that represents the interest of state corn growers in the growing and managing of corn grown both for on-farm feeding and commercial sale. WCGA works with other organizations in areas of mutual concern, including biotech issues, resistance management, pesticide issues, farmland taxation and valuation, conservation, and the environment. As part of NCGA, WCGA represents corn grower interests nationally and internationally and also sponsors the annual corn yield contest. Additional information on WCGA is available online at http://www.wicorn.org or by calling the Wisconsin Corn Program Office at 262-495-2232 or via E-mail at http://wicorn.ncgapremium.com.
