Harrison Ford waxes chest to raise deforestation awareness

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 21-May-08, 08:55

LONDON - Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford has braved having his chest waxed in a global ad campaign for Conservation International as part of its efforts to protect forests and fight climate change.

Ford has recently reprised his role as Indiana Jones at the age of 65 for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', the much anticipated fourth instalment of the movie series, which is released in cinemas on Friday.

President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana and leaders of Conservation International launched the campaign, called "Lost there, felt here", based on the message that destroying tropical forests anywhere hurts people everywhere.

The campaign was created by BBDO New York and includes press, digital, outdoor, collateral materials and film.

The centrepiece of the campaign is a 30-second video featuring Ford having his chest hair waxed to a soundtrack featuring Pearl Jam as a metaphor for the "Lost there, felt here" theme.

Ford said: "Every year, tropical forest equal to an area the size of England disappears. That's a jungle the size of Manhatten lost every four hours.

"Saving forests is more than helping wildlife survive. It combats climate change, and allows people to continue getting the fresh water and food and medicines they need from healthy forest ecosystems."

In Guyana, a South American nation that retains up to 80% of its original Amazon forest cover, President Jagdeo is working with Conservation International and other international and local partners on creating incentives to conserve the irreplaceable habitat.

He has offered to place the nation's forest under a strict regime that pays Guyana for the carbon dioxide stored in the trees and other biomass.

The campaign also provides an opportunity for individuals to take immediate action by protecting an acre and supporting conservation programmes to protect tropical forests worldwide by visiting the website.

Conservation International said that burning and clearing tropical forests emits at least 20% of total greenhouse gases that cause climate change, more than all the world's cars, trucks and airplanes combined.

Bill Bruce, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO New York, said: "The goal is to raise awareness of the cost and harm to all of us from destroying some of the richest tropical forests in the world. It is intended to shake people up and get them to take action."

Atmosphere BBDO handled the online portion of the campaign and media is being coordinated by PHD.