Warm reception for Truth

By Marcy Magiera -- Video Business, 12/1/2006

DEC. 1 | CULVER CITY, CALIF.—Former Vice President Al Gore and the makers of An Inconvenient Truth gathered here last night at the hip Smashbox Studios (home of L.A.’s Fashion Week) to accept Environmental Leadership Awards from the California League of Conservation Voters during a program that was warm and relaxed, especially given the star power in the room.

Presenter David Duchovny joked about the length he’d driven his electric car to attend and Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, presenting to Gore, squabbled about the sex appeal of the former Vice President. Celebs rubbed elbows with legislators including California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Controller Steve Westly and Lieutenant Governor-elect John Garamendi.

As anyone who has seen the film can attest, Gore is personable and compelling, and if anything, that’s only more true in person. It’s enough to make the most jaded Hollywood journo muse about switching careers to effect positive change in the world.

Gore, outright plugging the DVD only once, talked about the fact that he has updated his slide show since filming (updates available as a special feature on the DVD) and still gives the presentation multiple times each week to groups around the globe. Talk about your plugs for the DVD.

At the end of Gore’s speech I walked away with two trains of thought. One went ‘gotta do more, change the light bulbs, start a compost pile, buy in bulk…’ The other was that whatever your politics, you’ve got to appreciate the marketing of this film.

Public relations opportunities abound around Gore, and, unfortunately, global warming is not an issue that is going away anytime soon. Events like California’s recent passage of the groundbreaking and controversial Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32), and the federal government’s opposition to such laws, keep the film relevant and in the news and create more viewers.

Aside from public relations opportunities, Paramount’s marketing of An Inconvenient Truth is strikingly original and authentic. Everything from the recycled paperboard sleeve wrapped in a slip of cellophane, to the “Ten things to do” list and “Watch it-Share it-Donate it” message inside the sleeve are in complete sync with the film. It’s even in step with Wal-Mart Stores’ environmental and business sustainability initiatives, which include a plan to reduce total packaging on the products it sells by 5% (and potentially saving 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere).