Making Green the New Black?

As we are increasingly told to recycle, reuse and review the way we are living to meet the needs of the environment, the topic of 'Being Green' is seemingly becoming a trendy bandwagon many company's are jumping on the back of.

With re-useable bags cropping up in Harrods to Primark it begs the question, what are these company's motives for doing so? CSR has long been a tool to promote the caring, sharing side of a company and with a nice little tin of green paint it seems that many of us are fooled into believing that the company we are buying from aren't just thinking about their wallets.

Is this a bad thing? Should company's green credentials run deeper than a token bag gesture? The green phenomenon has well and truly taken off over the last few years but is the message really getting across to consumers? On the release of designer Anya Hindmarch's 'I'm not a Plastic Bag' hundreds queued up to get their hands on one - was it their worries over the environment or because that's what PR's were telling them was now fashionable?

Of course 'making green the new black' can be seen as positive, consumers who normally would not take notice of such issues are being surrounded by it, but is this enough for change? Is this just another social trend and when the next big thing comes along is green going to be hung back up and labelled so last season?

Churchill the dog / Pudsey the bear / Compare the Meerkat..would it be the same campaign without them?

This years CIPR's PRIDE awards saw Southern Water win Gold for its internal communications campaign. The central idea that made the campaign stand out was the creation of 'Bas' the cartoon Frog to front it.

Animal characters acting as a spokesperson for campaigns is not a new idea. Many of the most effective and successful campaigns are often remembered because of them. Churchill the nodding dog was first used in 1994 and fifteen years on is still going strong. In 2006 it was voted the best remembered TV advert of the year.

So what is it that makes them so successful? Do they simply act as a fun way to deliver the company's message?

Bas the frog injected fun and personality into what could have potentially been another boring introduction of a new computer system. Would it have been as successful without him?

This year Cadbury's are bringing back their Caramel Bunny, does this prove their worth? Are animal characters always going to be successful or do they have a time and a place?

Which ones do you remember and why?