Orange County Goes Green on Fox’s "The O.C."
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09.16.05
Did anyone catch The O.C. last night? It’s okay you can admit it. For all of you who are unfamiliar, the show is about a group of teenagers growing up in Orange County, CA. Think Beverly Hills 90210 for this one. They’re rich, they shop, they complain about their parents and the woes of being a teenager, with some major drama thrown in. Well, last night the show highlighted the annual high school carnival and we were quite thrilled to hear what they were raffling off – a Toyota Highlander Hybrid (as Summer suggested, “instead of a gas-guzzling SUV” and the girls agree with her "how cool!"). Yes, this might not be the typical teenage car, as nothing on The O.C. is typical, but kudos to Fox TV and The O.C.’s creator Josh Schwartz (a Providence native we might add) for throwing it in for all the millions of young folks out there that watch it. Now if only we could get Ryan to trade in that Range Rover. ::The O.C.
I would bet that it has more to do with product placement advertising than the goodness of anyone's heart, but perhaps I'm just too cynical. either way, it's still decent exposure.
I guess the city mileage is okay (33 MPG), but the highway mileage of the hybrid Highlander is the same as the non-hybrid model (27 MPG for both models).
"I guess the city mileage is okay (33 MPG), but the highway mileage of the hybrid Highlander is the same as the non-hybrid model (27 MPG for both models)."
True, but the hybrid is SULEV while the non hybrid is probably LEV (big difference), and there's probably a good chance that it's easier to get the EPA highway figure in the hybrid than in the non-hybrid.
Still, I'd rather they have plugged a sedan in the show... Or a bike. We can dream, can't we?