Cathy Freeman to feature in Earth Hour campaign

Racing through Sydney, Freeman turns out the lights in support of Earth Hour

March 11 2008: Australian Olympic gold medalist Cathy Freeman will feature in a new television Community Service Announcement to support the global WWF-Earth Hour climate change campaign.

The CSA shows Cathy Freeman racing through the streets of Sydney switching off as many lights as she can in 60 minutes. Landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and well- recognised pubs, restaurants and hotels around the city are seen going dark.

“Cathy Freeman’s ability to capture the public’s imagination is unparalleled. She captured the spirit behind Earth Hour – that everyone has a part to play,” said Andy Ridley, WWF’s Executive Director of Earth Hour.

“We wanted to find a way of illustrating how much of a contribution one person could make. Despite a massive storm on the night Cathy managed to turn off 6,399 lights in one hour,” said Ridley.

The advert was developed by Stephen Coll and Nils Eberhardt at the Sydney advertising agency Leo Burnett, who worked in conjunction with the production company Caravan Pictures which is owned and operated by brother sister team Ben and Emma Lawrence.

“We only had one person in mind from the beginning - Olympic Gold Medallist Cathy Freeman. We presented her with a unique challenge - how many lights in Sydney could she turn off in one hour? She accepted immediately. Cathy was fantastic to work with. The Earth Hour cause is very close to her heart and she generously gave her time,” said Leo Burnett’s writer Stephen Coll.

In a hectic two weeks, the production team performed a minor miracle, recruiting a small army of volunteer cameramen and producers, and securing access to premises throughout the CBD including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Dozens of Sydneysiders volunteered their premises for the cause, with the City of Sydney assisting with filming permits.

For more information on Earth Hour, to pledge your support or find out how you can get Earth Hour happening in your city, go to www.earthhour.org

To view the Earth Hour CSA featuring Cathy Freeman go to: ftp://EHconfidential:quiet1@203.28.166.111/

For still images from the CSA or to interview Andy Ridley contact:
Kath Eggleston, WWF-Australia Press Office
T: +61 2 8202 1294 / 0408 408 562 E: keggleston@wwf.org.au

About Earth Hour
On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal- fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses turned off their lights, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the
attention of the world. In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

About WWF
WWF-Australia is part of the WWF International Network, the world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organisation. It has close to five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. This is achieved by working on the ground with local communities, and in partnership with government and industry, using the best possible science to advocate change and effective conservation policy.