It’s tough to make a TV spot about natural gas both sexy and funny, but the Alberta government’s consumer advocate has succeeded with a new TV campaign launched this week.
The spot, the second wave of a campaign to raise public awareness of the Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA), has a young woman in a restaurant demand bluntly of her newly arrived blind date: “How’s your gas?” She then proceeds to regale the astounded man with the wonders of natural gas.
The spot ends with the tag: “If you don’t give gas much thought, it’s because what we think about is how to ensure you don’t have to.”
Sharon Lopatka, communications director for Service Alberta, said the UCA, which represents consumers in the province’s de-regulated energy industry, wanted an ad that would cut through the clutter. “Utilities aren’t a very sexy thing, and humour is a great way to get people’s attention,” she said of the spot from Calgary-based agency Wonder.
When research showed the UCA was unknown to 90% of Albertans, the organization launched its first awareness campaign in September 2010.
This second wave will run until the end of May, said Lopatka, “because we know raising awareness isn’t a one-shot deal.”
At the conclusion of the campaign, UCA will conduct testing and decide whether it needs a third iteration.
Lopatka said the UCA is taking the same “plain language” approach to raising awareness on social media, its revamped website and at trade shows.
