Proving that marketing is ever opportunistic in the face of growing environmentalism, Honda unveiled a Formula One racing car devoid of sponsorship logos and covered with an image of planet Earth. The campaign comes as Honda wishes to draw more attention to the environment and encourage people to donate to relevant charities. Before you go getting all green inside, please consider that this gesture is akin to painting an oil rig with trees and flowers. As we've all learned, it's what is on the inside that counts and this entire thing reeks of "Look at me!"

Take, for instance, this Formula One racing car hiding underneath the Earth paint job. The average new car emits about 170 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. Honda's Earth Car will emit at least 1,500 grams per km as it speeds around the 17-race calendar this year. Not only that, but beyond encouraging people to reduce consumption, Honda isn't setting any new environmental standards for its racing fleet. No use of biofuels, no commitment to recycling, no solar panels for housing, nada. Visit their "Earth Car" site and you'll find lots of things that YOU can do to help the planet, but nothing spelled out as to what Honda is doing in return. Sure, they make hybrids and offer a link to their Environmentology site, but if you're going to put together a campaign, at least focus on some initiatives that back what you're preaching. Even offsetting every race would have been a start. Instead, we're left with a car that looks really cool buzzing by at 150mph, but fails to reflect the green image it's attempting to inspire. In place of driving, perhaps Honda should walk the walk.

Source: Crickey!