Bogusky, who left a highly successful role in agency life two years ago, has developed several groundbreaking initiatives around his increasing focus on social responsibility – this being the latest. The four-minute animation, which is produced with advocacy group Center of Science in the Public Interest, shows the impact on health of drinking too many sugary products.
The video creates a direct attack in particular on Cola-Cola, parodying as it does its polar bear characters. It is expected to go viral after being posted at The Real Bears website.
The website states that sugary drinks are the number one source of calories in the American diet and lists a number of responses from the soft drinks industry, along with arguments intending to flag up the direct link between their consumption and various health problems.
In the video clip itself, The Real Bears suffer from weight gain, tooth decay, erectile dysfunction and type 2 diabetes. It features an original song, ‘Sugar’, by Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, performed with the rapper MC Flow.
“I like the taste of soda and I’ve had my share and I don’t imagine a world without soda,” Bogusky said. “But the reality is that over the years sugary drinks have gone from an occasional treat to an everyday, every-occasion beverage. This project attempts to contrast the marketing hype around soda with the stark reality and it is my hope that it makes some small contribution to a critical cultural awakening. We need to begin to connect the dots between what we are sold, what we eat, and how sick we have become,” said Bogusky.
“No one’s saying you can’t have the occasional soda,” said Mraz. “But by calling attention to some hazards of sugar consumption perhaps folks will choose healthier options. I have had people close to me devastated by the effects of over-consuming sugar and soda on a daily basis over many years. I hope The Real Bears inspires people to think about what they drink and make a change for the better.”
The Centre for Sceince in the Public Interest says that the video is part of its long-running campaign to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. “There’s a war going on between soft-drink companies and health advocates,” says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “This is our attempt to reposition soft drinks from a source of happiness to a major cause of disease.”
Bogusky joined Crispin Porter Advertising in 1989 as art director, rising to the position of co-chairman in 2008. During his leadership, Crispin Porter + Bogusky became the most awarded advertising agency in global terms.
Ironically, in his time at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Bogusky became something of a legend for creating ads for Burger King, Domino’s… and Coca-Cola.
A strong advocate of social responsibility, Bogusky’s other initiatives have included the Truth Campaign, a successful US youth-focused anti-tobacco education initiative. Other campaign work includes Climate Reality Project, a venture with politician Al Gore. The launch of 24 hours of reality in 2011 became the highest viewed streaming web event with 8m viewers turning in for an average of 58 minutes.