“Save
Miguel" - Hollywood Joins Fight To Save Cork Forests
Wine
consumers can play a role in saving a fragile natural resource
SANTA
MARIA DE LAMAS, Portugal (October 7, 2008 ) - Amorim,
world's largest producer of natural cork products, announced
today that it has launched a global awareness campaign to promote
the environmental qualities of cork oak forests and protect
them for future generations.
The
campaign includes several firsts for natural cork, the use of
global viral marketing tools that includes a YouTube
streaming video featuring Hollywood actor/comedian
Rob Schneider; strategic appearances of Australian FreeHugsí
celebrity Juan Mann; a cork recycling program sponsored by Australian
Girl Scouts; and a special FaceBook
social networking site. Carlos de Jesus, Amorim's head of corporate
communications and marketing, is elated with the campaign results
so far.
“After
launching the campaign in Australia a few weeks ago, it has
spread systemically around the world to include wine consumers
and non wine-drinkers alike. It appears our program has struck
a cord with people concerned with the environmental issues surrounding
forest preservation and sustainability."
At
last count, the 3 videos of the campaign have logged over 300,000
YouTube
views, while our ““SAVE MIGUEL""
site (www.savemiguel.com)
has received another 65,000 visitors.
“The
video clip we produced is a tongue-in-cheek approach to a serious
subject," says De Jesus. “Many people believe the
myth perpetrated by the alternative closure lobby that our industry
cuts down the down the cork forests to make corks, and that
the supply is nearly exhausted. This is as far from the truth
as possible. Billions and billions of wine corks are produced
each year without a single tree being cut down. This enables
us to provide an unlimited supply of product at competitive
prices."
The
impetus for Amorim's global awareness campaign is quite clear.
Approximately 70% of the value associated with the worldís
cork forests depends on wine stoppers, not shoes or bulletin
boards or flooring tiles. The inroads plastic and aluminum closures
are making in some markets threaten the cash value of this important
natural crop. The ultimate result could be a steady decline
in jobs and economic stability throughout the Western Mediterranean
basin, and the loss of critical biodiversity with a likely increase
in C02 emissions.
“We
take our commitment to sustainability very seriously,"
says De Jesus. “It's been a way of life for us for over
100 years. It is estimated that the cork oak forests of the
Mediterranean basin help offset a massive 10 million metric
tons of CO2 every year. And when you consider the amount of
energy it takes to manufacture alternative closures versus natural
cork, the advantages of natural become more obvious."
The
“SAVE MIGUEL" campaign is designed
to educate consumers worldwide to understand the market power
they have in buying and using sustainable-based products. “We
are all in this together," says De Jesus. “Even small
decisions like the choice of a wine closure have global implications
to a fragile planet."
For
more information on the “SAVE MIGUEL"
campaign, visit www.savemiguel.com.
For
information on Amorim Cork Initiatives worldwide,
visit www.corkfacts.com.