News
May 9, 2012
Would you spend a month in a car to find solutions to Toronto’s commuter chaos?
Toronto – May 9, 2012 – Evergreen, a national charity that makes cities more livable, is looking for someone willing to spend an entire month in a car. Why a month? With an average commute time of 80 minutes per day, Torontonians spend the equivalent of a month stuck in traffic over the course of a year.
The campaign will highlight the transportation issues we face every day in the city, while exploring some of the sustainable solutions to our gridlock woes. It will also promote this summer’s MOVE Expo at Evergreen Brick Works (June 30 through to the end of October), which will highlight the past, present and future of transportation in Toronto and beyond.
The exhibit is presented in collaboration with Institute without Boundaries, a Toronto-based studio that works to achieve social, ecological and economic innovation through design.
“It’s shocking that Toronto has one of the worst commute times in the world,” says Lea Anne Armstrong, creative director at Evergreen, “So this campaign will hopefully get a reaction, get people talking, and direct them to visit the MOVE Expo to learn more about what a sustainable transportation system could look like.”
The person selected for the job will earn $1,000 a week plus a daily per diem and will spend night and day in the car, eating and sleeping, for 4 weeks straight—aside from necessary breaks. They’ll interview industry experts for a Passenger Seat web video series, make media appearances, conduct public opinion polls and interact with followers through social media.
“We really want to get people talking, so this is a fun and different way of sparking the conversation about sustainable transportation solutions,” says Chris Booth, creative director at Rethink, the agency behind the work.
Interested candidates are being asked to create a minute-long video and a 250-word written submission outlining why they’d be perfect for the job. The full application details can be found at facebook.com/monthinacar. As well, the campaign can be followed on twitter @monthinacar.
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For more information, contact:
Anthony Westenberg, Evergreen Communications
416-596-1495 x221, awestenberg@evergreen.ca
Chris Booth, Creative Director, Rethink
416.583.5731, chrisb@rethinkcanada.com
MOVE: The Transportation Expo is a multi-sensory tour of the past, present and future of transportation; an exploration of the innovative ideas and technologies needed to build and connect our communities in efficient and sustainable ways.
Set amid the spectacular heritage kiln buildings of Evergreen Brick Works, visitors can learn about key transportation issues facing us today, here in Toronto and in cities around the world, as well as innovative solutions for the future.
About Evergreen
A national charity since 1991, Evergreen empowers Canadians to take a hands-on approach to improving the health of our cities—now and for the future. evergreen.ca
About Institute without Boundaries
Institute without Boundaries is a Toronto-based studio that works towards collaborative design action and seeks to achieve social, ecological and economic innovation. worldhouse.ca
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