This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Robert Redford appears in a new public-service announcement for "Raise the River," an effort to raise money and awareness for a proposal to save the Colorado River.
But while that might be a dry topic (pardon the pun), backers of the movement have found a novel way to get attention: Humor.
Specifically, Redford's PSA is being "countered" by Will Ferrell, who has begun "Move the Ocean," a campaign to instead move the Pacific Ocean closer to the Colorado River delta.
Redford's PSAs and Ferrell's spots, posted on the humor website Funny or Die, become a back-and-forth argument. Ferrell mocks "old Sundance," while Redford calmly gives as good as he gets.
The result gets a message across to people who might tune out — while showing that environmentalists, contrary to popular opinion, actually have a sense of humor.
(h/t AdWeek)