Two of Scotland’s most familiar TV faces now have a few more wrinkles and grey hairs, as a new STV sustainability campaign sees weather presenters Sean Batty and Philip Petrie transforming into older versions of themselves and delivering ‘weather forecasts’ from the future.
Sean, 39, and 32-year-old Philip’s appearances have been altered with prosthetics to show how they might look if they’re still presenting STV’s weather coverage in the year 2051. The purpose of the campaign is to highlight the importance of making small changes to our everyday lives now to help improve the outlook for the environment.
In one clip – which will appear on-air from Monday 1 November – silver fox Sean tells viewers that “beasts from the East are now few and far between” in 2051, in part thanks to people choosing less attractive but perfectly edible vegetables at the supermarket. In another film, Sean predicts that “greenhouse gases are at a new low” – helped by shoppers opting to buy more local produce in the preceding decades.
Another clip shows weekend weather presenter Philip, now sporting glasses and a greying beard, explaining that Scotland is experiencing “far fewer flash floods”, with a rise in the number of people taking shorter showers contributing to this positive environmental outcome.
Other small changes encouraged in the campaign – which coincides with Scotland hosting the pivotal COP26 conference – include washing laundry on a cold wash setting, switching to a bamboo toothbrush, filling the kettle with the right amount of water, and adopting a “meat-free Mondays” mentality.
The campaign is being launched as part of STV’s wider sustainability strategy, STV Zero, which commits the broadcaster to becoming a net zero carbon business by 2030. A key commitment for the broadcaster is to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote sustainable lifestyles to its viewers on air, in response to the climate crisis.
Sean Batty said: “There was no mirror in the make-up room so when I went to the bathroom after having everything done, I got such a fright that I probably aged 10 years just from that!
“It’s a sad fact that climate change is happening, but we must work together to help prevent the worst-case scenario. This campaign is our way of highlighting a few wee, easy alterations to everyone’s lives which collectively could help to make a big difference down the line.”
Philip Petrie said: “I never thought I would ever be asked to wear prosthetic makeup and have my hair dyed grey at work, but it was fantastic fun!
“In my job, I have to keep a watchful eye on changing weather patterns and I often wonder what future forecasts could actually look like. We hope this campaign gives viewers the inspiration to make small changes because, after all, tackling the climate crisis is going to be a big team effort.”
Bobby Hain, Managing Director of Broadcast at STV, said: “There is so much work to be done at an international level around climate change, but small changes at a local level can make a big difference and we wanted to communicate that in a fun and accessible way. STV is in a perfect position to raise awareness of environmental issues and help effect change, and we hope this new campaign – in line with our wider sustainability strategy launched earlier this year – will go some way in doing that.”
Media Contact
Stephen Innes – stephen.innes@stv.tv