Advertising and design firm 72andSunny has teamed up with G4 to develop "gcycle," an environmental initiative aimed at getting young guys to recycle their tech gear, such as used chargers, cell phones, batteries, CD-ROMs, videogame consoles, and other gadgets. In addition to recommending the partnership initiative between environmental information provider Earth 911 and G4, 72andSunny conceived the program name (gcycle), website (gcycle.org), identity and logo, as well as the "Dude, c'mon" promo campaign activating the program. Two animated spots broke in the U.S. on Earth Day (April 22).

"Young guys want to do the right thing when it comes to being environmentally responsible, so you don't have to preach to them," said Jason Norcross, Writer, 72andSunny. "But most guys either don't think to recycle their old gadgets or they think it's a pain. So our first objective was to make recycling easy to do. The second objective was to make it fun. If we're going to really convert guys, it has to be something in which they enjoy participating."

Adds Bryan Rowles, Art Director, 72andSunny, "We spun our gears in different directions until our producer, Sam Baerwald, blurted out the perfect message for the campaign: 'Dude, c'mon. It's not that hard.' How can you top that honesty and directness? Plus, the concept was fun, and G4 and Earth 911 felt the same way when we presented them with the idea."

Each spot tells a ridiculous story about the consequences of improperly disposing of old tech gear. In one ad, the clueless dude chucks his old cell phone into the ocean but then suffers the retribution of an angry fish with a sexy Latino accent. Another spot features the clueless dude feeding batteries to pigeons before an angry rogue plant vacuums his head. The campaign signs off with title card: 'Dude, c'mon. Gcycle your phones, batteries and gadgets' and the gcycle.org logo.

"The Dudes" are hand-drawn characters by illustrator Adam Culbert (a.k.a. Sam Brown of explodingdog.com). While one of the dudes is more environmentally conscious, the other is clueless. Hornet Inc. brought "The Dudes" to life for the website and TV campaign, which boast a style that is purposefully lo-fi and offbeat.

The website features a simple interface that invites visitors to enter their zip code, and depending on the object(s) the individual is interested in recycling, the site will generate a list of appropriate local recycling centers, eco-friendly events and retail partners. Other features of the site include a page of "Flummoxing Facts" about e-waste, a chat room and a variety of fun videos featuring the two animated hosts known as "The Dudes," who constantly remind visitors that it's always better to gcycle than not.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Client: G4
Website: gcycle.org
TV Spots: "Batteries," "Cell Phone" (:30 and :10)
Airdate: April 22, 2007

Ad Agency: 72andSunny / Los Angeles, CA
Creative Director: Glenn Cole
Art Directors: Bryan Rowles, Hoon Kim
Writers: Jason Norcross, Louise Shieh
Executive Producer: Sam Baerwald
Broadcast Producer: Cherie Appleby
Interactive Producer: Rebekah Mateu
Brand Manager: Jessica Lewis

Illustrator: Adam Culbert of Exploding Dog
V/O: Adam Culbert

Web Production: Struck Design / Salt Lake City, UT
Executive Design Director of Interactive: Ryan Goodwin
Design Director of Interactive: Mike Kern
Executive Producer of Interactive: Kyle Snarr
Lead Flash Developer: Jeramy Morrill
Flash Developer: Tyler Martin

Animation Company: Hornet, NY
Executive Producer: Michael Feder
Producer: Greg Bedard, Hana Shimizu
Editor: Anita Chao, Joseph Suslak
Animator: Jason Patterson, Dan Abdo, Masako Miyazaki

Music and Sound Design: Barton & Holt / Los Angeles, CA
Sound Designer: Hugh Barton

Mix: Play Sound / Los Angeles, CA