In case you haven’t been following the Yes Men’s  latest expose of corporate misinformation check out their recent press releases. The first one was on October 19:

Massive Chevron Ad Campaign Derailed, Media Slapstick Follows

News outlets, citizens duped by web of deceit – but whose?

A day-long comedy of errors began Monday morning when the Yes Men, supported by Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, pre-empted Chevron’s enormous new “We Agree” ad campaign with a satirical version of their own. The activists’ version highlights Chevron’s environmental and social abuses – the same abuses they say Chevron is attempting to “greenwash.”

“Chevron’s super-expensive fake street art is a cynical attempt to gloss over the human rights abuses and environmental degradation that is the legacy of Chevron’s operations in Ecuador, Nigeria, Burma and throughout the world,” said Ginger Cassady, a campaigner at Rainforest Action Network. “They must think we’re stupid.”

“They say we’re ‘interrupting the dialogue,’” said Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men, referring to Chevron’s terse condemnation. “What dialogue? Chevron’s ad campaign is an insulting, confusing monologue – with many tens of millions of dollars behind it.”

The rest is here. And here’s their latest:

Leaks led to Chevron “We Agree” takeover; activist campaign expands

Chevron “We Agree” Leaks Revealed
Activists ramp up fight against Chevron “greenwashing” with posters, videos, billboard alterations, etc.

Environmental and human rights activists have revealed the various leaks that permitted them to wreck the recent launch of Chevron’s ultra-expensive new “We Agree” ad campaign. The revelations came with the announcement of a new print and video contest that, for a few dollars, continues the fight against Chevron’s mega-millions in a no-holds-barred PR smackdown. (One video, submitted by the comedy troupe Funny or Die, is already cracking up online legions, as are a large number of print submissions. An upcoming billboard alteration contest promises to up the ante yet further.)

Chevron’s plan for the “We Agree” offensive was first leaked to Amazon Watch over a month ago, when ecologist blogger Lauren Selman received a casting call to appear in one of Chevron’s new split-screen television ads. Selman used the information she gathered to help Amazon Watch, the Rainforest Action Network, and the Yes Men pre-empt Chevron’s insulting PR campaign. (Read Selman’s blog post here.)

Another leak came shortly after, when Chevron’s ad agency, McGarryBowen, asked DC street artist César Maxit if he could help wheat-paste the new Chevron posters. Instead, Maxit sent the Chevron files to the Rainforest Action Network and helped build their campaign. (See video here.)

The activists’ continuing efforts are ensuring that Chevron’s PR strategy backfires severely, as media continues to highlight Chevron’s poor environmental and human rights record. That’s exactly the point, say the activists: to raise public awareness around Chevron’s abuses in Ecuador and elsewhere, and ultimately force Chevron to do something about them.

Coming soon: a billboard alteration kit for making Chevron’s real-world “We Agree” ads better, an automagical “We Agree” poster generator, online resources for producing video parodies, and more! The contest will end in late November, and voting on entries will begin next week. Very special prizes will soon be announced.

Contacts:
Ginger Cassady, Rainforest Action Network, ginger@ran.org, (415) 640-7155
Han Shan, Amazon Watch, han@amazonwatch.org, (917) 418-4133
The Yes Men, press@theyesmen.org