Former Google spokesman, Nate Tyler, is leveraging his Silicon Valley celebrity for a green – or rather black – campaign. After being inspired by a similar initiative in Sydney, Tyler is launching Lights Out San Francisco. The idea is for the city to turn off all unnecessary lights from 8 pm. to 9 pm. on Oct. 20 to help save energy.

According to the LA Times, Tyler is reaching out with the slogan “Good Things Happen in the Dark” printed on t-shirts and posters. He’s mostly relying on an energetic word of mouth campaign, but has also tapped the New York-based firm Exposure for some marketing. And he’s already got some major players on board: Mayor Gavin Newsom has passed a resolution honoring the day, and businesses like Gap and Yahoo have signed on.

Folks are apparently gushing about his strategy:

Pacific Gas and Electric and Yahoo donated the 110,000 compact-fluorescent light bulbs. “I ask my team: How can we make energy efficiency sexy?” said the utility’s spokesman Keely Wachs. “Nate has done exactly that.”

But the article states a part of the campaign’s success is Tyler’s charisma. Like when he says:

“If we don’t do something, by 2050, all the polar bears will be gone. That’s where Santa Claus lives, man. That’s a bummer.”