EXCLUSIVE: The Federal Government has appointed Smart Melbourne to create its controversial climate change campaign.
The $12 million campaign aims to educate the public about the government’s plans to reduce carbon emissions. It will support Prime
Minister Julia Gillard’s proposal which aims to put a price on carbon emissions from July 2012.
The minister for climate change and energy efficiency Greg Combet announced the campaign yesterday.
AdNews understands the campaign is already in production, although there is no guarantee it will be launched.
The $12 million advertising spend for the campaign is in addition to the $13 million the government set aside in the 2011-12 budget to fund a community-based public engagement campaign. The carbon tax issue has been particularly contentious for the government.
Last month the opposition criticised the government for putting aside funding for a carbon campaign.
Yesterday Independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott criticised the government’s timing, calling for more policy consultation ahead of the campaign.
Major corporations Coca-Cola Amatil, Harvey Norman and the Australian Coal Association (ACA), have come out in opposition to the tax, arguing that such a scheme will cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars.
AdNews revealed exclusively last month that the mining industry was in the midst of producing an ad campaign opposing the tax. Australian Mining this month released a campaign promoting the mining industry although it claims the campaign is “apolitical”.
The government campaign would pick up on the public debate sparked by the recent “Say Yes Australia” campaign, fronted by actress Cate Blanchett (above), and funded by a lobby group including nongovernment organisations such as Greenpeace, GetUp! and the World Wildlife Fund.
Media buying for the campaign will be handled by the government’s master media agency UM.
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