When asked what I do, I usually give my elevator pitch. You know, a concise 30-60 second spiel that explains what Breathe Southern California is and why what we do is important. It is called an ‘elevator pitch’ because just like you have limited time to talk to someone while riding in an elevator, you have a limited period to explain what you do before your audience’s eyes glaze over.
Truth be told, I rarely give my elevator pitch on an elevator. I use it most often at business and social events when I’m introduced to someone who isn’t familiar with Breathe SoCal.
An elevator pitch has to be concise, but all-inclusive. So, it’s taken me some time to figure out the best way to quickly explain Breathe SoCal’s purpose, programs, impact and value in a way that keeps someone’s attention. I’ve learned to give a broad forest-wide view of our work without focusing too much on any one tree. Either that, or I tell a story.
People in advertising use stories all the time when they make television or radio commercials. They also have just 30-60 seconds to make the viewer understand their product, what it can do, and how it is the answer to a real (or imagined) problem.
Yes, Breathe Southern California is an environmental health nonprofit that screens people for lung disease, provides education on lung health and air pollution, advocates for public policy solutions, provides patient support programs, conducts and sponsors clinical and public health research, and works with clean technology manufacturers to promote zero-emission vehicles, renewable energy, and green job training programs. But what many people do not know is that Breathe SoCal also has an in-house creative agency that produces top flight public service announcements (PSAs) on public health and environmental subjects.
Our creative arm is called BSC Inhale Creative, because just like we draw in air when we inhale, we seek to draw people in with stories that entertain, engage, and make people think. Most recently, our creative team has produced and directed a number of videos that seek to build awareness about the transition toward a brighter, healthier future with zero-emission vehicles.
Through the power of story, some stellar imagination, and amazing talent, we’ve told the stories of families that have made the decision to drive electric. By showcasing fiestas, funny first dates, and afternoon pick-ups from grandma’s, we’ve crafted entertaining vignettes that remind people how easy it is to go green.
Southern California’s charging landscape is expanding every day to support the burgeoning popularity of EVs. Publicly accessible fast chargers are appearing along major corridors, in shopping center parking lots, and in city centers, while charging stations are popping up at workplaces and in multi-family apartment buildings to serve those who don’t have their own home charger. Electric utilities are also reinforcing power distribution lines and deploying smart chargers, renewable energy generation, and battery storage to manage electricity demand, making our power grid cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient.
The transition to electric vehicles – for both light duty passenger cars, and the heavy duty trucks, that move goods across the region and the country -- eliminates tailpipe emissions entirely. That’s a big deal. When EVs replace gas cars, buses, delivery vans, and big rig trucks, the benefits are immediate and local: less air pollution for all, especially for the most burdened and neighborhoods bordering the ports, major freeways, and major interchanges.
Switching to an EV does not just reduce carbon emissions. Moving away from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles reduces harmful tailpipe pollutants that are strongly linked to an increasing incidence of asthma, COPD, heart disease, and even premature death. As I’ve said before: Clean transportation is lung health.
Driving electric is better for everyone’s health. So, by cinematically showcasing stories about people making healthy choices themselves and their loved ones by going electric, we hope to inspire and create conversation for everyone.
I will spare you my elevator pitch because I think you will learn much more about our mission by watching our two most recent PSAs HERE and HERE!
We want to thank our partners who helped make these PSAs possible. And just like the title of our most recent spot, “For our Lungs, our Environment and our Future,” those are the three reasons why we at Breathe SoCal keep doing what we’re doing everyday.To learn more about what our creative team can do, contact InhaleCreative@breathesocal.org.
In health,
Marc Carrel
CEO, President
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