There could probably not be a greater difference between Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson’s performance in Pulp Fiction, arguably the breakthrough film of his career, and his latest performance starring in a pro-wind power ad for the Swedish energy giant Vattenfall.
‘Motherfucking wind farms’
The commercial, which can be viewed below, opens with the actor standing at the Danish coastline crunching some snacks, then picking up his binoculars with his eyes stopping at the offshore wind farm Vesterhav Syd operated by Vattenfall. The actor says, “Motherfucking wind farms, loud, ugly and harmful to nature.”
A brief silence while he shakes his head and continues to crunch his snacks before saying, “Who says that? These giants are standing tall against fossil fuels – rising out in the ocean like a middle finger to CO2.”
A taste of fossil freedom – the Vattenfall commercial starring Samuel Jackson
Vattenfall: wind power offers more than energy
The Vattenfall campaign aims to showcase all the different use cases for offshore wind, such as food production, where the company works with various partners. The commercial also promotes a product called Wind Farmed Seaweed Snacks, which we can hear Jackson crunching in the film. It is not a product that can be purchased, but it was produced in small quantities for the campaign.
Jackson’s passion for marine life
Jackson once studied marine biology and has a passion for aquatic life, and was also keen to be excited about the project to challenge people’s perception of what a wind farm can represent.
“For me, it’s about the world we’re leaving behind for the next generation. That’s why I wanted to be part of this collaboration with Vattenfall. These offshore wind farms aren’t just producing fossil-free electricity; they also create a habitat for sea life to grow. For example, seaweed is a food that can help regenerate the marine environment. That’s next-level thinking,” the actor said.
Vattenfall: Jackson, helps us share the appeal of fossil-free electricity
The head of Environment at Vattenfall, Helle Herk-Hanse, added more insights into the campaign and the collaboration with the actor: “For Vattenfall, this initiative is about taking a broader approach, working with partners to find innovative ways to use our fossil-free electricity infrastructure in coexistence with nature. The Wind-Farmed Seaweed Snacks demonstrate that this is possible. And with an advocate like Samuel L. Jackson, we could share that message with more people.”
In the commercial that lasts nearly one minute, Jackson highlights the marine benefits of offshore wind farms: “They can become artificial reefs, creating habitats for sea life to grow”
Vesterhav Syd offshore wind farm
The offshore wind farm Vesterhav Syd featured in the commercial is located offshore Denmark’s North Sea cost near the fishing village as well as popular holiday destination, Hvide Sande.
It was completed in 2023 and has a generation capacity of 170 megawatts (MW), and can supply 170,000 households with clean electricity.
It is the first offshore wind farm where local residents can buy shares in the project.
Vattenfall’s drive to quit fossil fuels
Vattenfall is a multisource state-owned energy company established in 1909 as a hydroelectric energy company; its name translates as waterfall.
Since then, it has expanded into several energy sources and European countries, and outside Sweden, it has operational presence in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK.
It has set ambitious plans to move 100% away from fossil fuels, and in 2020, it completed its phase-out of coal.
They are a large producer of wind power, hydropower, and nuclear power. They also operate in the fields of solar power, biomass, energy from waste, and natural gas.
Anders Lorenzen is the founding Editor of A greener life, a greener world.
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Categories: Communication, Energy, Film & TV, marketing, Scandinavia
