Flow Creative creates Treeless Squirrel, a character dedicated to planting trees

Whether one collectively agrees that the Zeitgest is colored green or labeled sustainable, today’s eco-conscious lifestyle gains visibility with every Prius passed and beeswax candle lit. Now Flow Creative, Inc. adds to the list of environmentally friendly symbols a six-foot-tall character called Treeless Squirrel, a character dedicated to planting trees.

“Protecting the environment is as topical as the application of sunscreen is practical,” said Peter Zapf, principal of Flow Creative, the Chicago creative boutique that created Treeless Squirrel. “And you need not be a modern-day Thoreau to realize heeding the message of Treeless Squirrel is as advisable as Al Gore keeping his thermostat below 68 degrees.”

Akin to other memorable environmentally focused characters like Smokey the Bear and Woodsy the Owl, Treeless Squirrel clarifies and amplifies the importance of planting trees in a memorable way. His sermon is simple: “Plant trees, please” because Treeless Squirrel believes trees make the world a greener, healthier, and more beautiful place.

Treeless Squirrel debuted on YouTube with a video titled “Treeless Squirrel says, ‘Plant trees, please.’” This video is the first in a series featuring Treeless Squirrel. It depicts his desire to find a home and live in a world with more trees. Response to this video has been phenomenal. On YouTube alone, the video has been viewed 336,729 times, has generated 347 resoundingly positive user comments, has been tagged as a favorite 776 times, and has received 20 YouTube honors worldwide as of April 8, 2008. The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k22oHm0O3Sg.

The message of the importance of planting trees is not new. In fact, the ancient Greeks measured societies’ greatness by their ability to plant trees in whose shade they would not sit. Treeless Squirrel agrees that it takes foresight and empathy to connect with future generations. However, today, Treeless Squirrel also knows it helps to send text messages.

“It’s tough to get your head let alone your arms around many environmental issues. You can’t hug the Sierra Club, but Treeless Squirrel is an icon that has personality, depth, and dimension. Treeless Squirrel is bound to connect with people of all ages but especially the youngest generation,” added Zapf.

So, until Treeless Squirrel finds a branch to call home, www.treeless-squirrel.com is his primary residence. It acts as a starting place for all Treeless Squirrel is doing to encourage people to plant trees, including his blog (www.blog.treeless-squirrel.com) and his Squidoo lens (www.squidoo.com/plantatree). Treeless Squirrel also socializes on several of the most popular social networking sites, including: MySpace, Flickr, and YouTube.

With Earth Day (April 22, 2008) and Arbor Day (April 25, 2008) approaching, Treeless Squirrel is planning on planting plenty of trees. Not surprisingly, the White Oak (Quercus Alba) is the Treeless Squirrel’s favorite.

Flow Creative, Inc. is an award-winning creative boutique located in Chicago. Its clients include CBOE, Clio Awards, Equinoxe, Golub & Company, MotiveQuest, The Morton Arboretum, and the University of Chicago’s Graham School of General Studies. Learn more about Flow Creative at www.flowcreative.net