Innovative Environmental Site Project Phin Uses Online Video and Celebs to Connect to Millennials

Authored by Jay Baage on August 8, 2007 - 7:02am.

We hear the same message every day - America must increase its energy independence and stop global warming. Young people care, but how to get them to actually do something about it? The Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) has started an online campaign called “Project Phin.” The campaign website aims to get young people’s attention by using online videos featuring celebs like Matt Damon, Ben Allleck, Sarah Silverman, Jason Briggs, Joshua Jackson, Jennifer Garner, Jenny Wade and Tobin Bell.

The website has a “no bull” style and shows you easy ways to get involved using social networks like Facebook and MySpace as well as how to send emails to Congress urging them to vote for provisions that require cars and light trucks that get 35 miles per gallon by 2020 – as well as require some service stations sell ethanol for flexible fuel cars.

Using the slogan “Clean my Car, Flex my Fuel” the site provides entertainment value through six installments of quirky YouTube videos featuring the Hollywood celebs mentioned above highlighting environmental issues related to using non-renewable sources of energy.

On Project Phin’s official blog, the founder - only identified as “Phin” - explains the point of the campaign:

“Project Phin is about how a regular guy sets out to create an effective message that would mobilize all of us to take seriously the problems of our dependence on oil and global warming. The videos focus on ways to convince people to pressure Congress to implement policies that will reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency for cars and trucks. Given the huge response to the videos (we are approaching 200,000 views), I thought, ‘If I can do it, so can anyone.’”

The Center for American Progress is a non-partisan think-tank headed up by Bill Clinton's former chief of staff, John Podesta.

Joakim Baage

By the way, if you are interested in programming and marketing to the Millennial generation, born between 1982 and 2000, check out our upcoming Millennials conference in NYC on September 27, 2007.