• Brandweek, Monday, February 2, 2009 11:30 AM

A Kellogg's Frosted Flakes ad that ran during the Super Bowl last night is perhaps emblematic of a new sensibility that may replace "green" as the popular cause du jour: community service. The "Plant a seed" spot encourages moms to nominate local playing fields for renovation at Frostedflakes.com. Fifty fields will be selected as part of the campaign, write Kenneth Hein and Elaine Wong.

Scholastic Media is launching Clifford the Big Red Dog's "Be Big!" campaign this week, inviting people to spread the word about 10 big ideas, including sharing, helping others and working together. Then, of course, there's Starbucks' "I'm in" campaign. Consumers who pledged five hours of community service between Jan. 21 and Jan. 25 received a free coffee. More than 1.3 million hours of service were pledged.

A focus on the community "is in the air," says Simon Sinek, president of Sinek Partners brand consultancy. "Green is too intellectual. Community service is in your backyard. It directly impacts your life."

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