It's about time the Advertising Standards Authority got tough on companies peddling "green" or "eco" rhetoric as brazenly as the emperor wore his new clothes. It has just pulled a British Gas television advert over its "misleading" green claims, where the company's most environmentally-friendly dual fuel package is described as "zero-carbon".
Eagle-eyed viewers challenged the claim, as of course fuel, in itself, cannot be carbon free. British Gas, banned from showing the ad again, are upset with the ruling. They say the phrase refers to their carbon-offsetting scheme, not the fuel itself (this means someone, somewhere, will be peddling away frantically on a push-bike to replenish the energy as fast as it is dispersed, or perhaps planting a few trees).
It doesn't have to be like this, though. We could just create decent green products and sell them as such, a proposition adman John Grant makes in his excellent Green Marketing Manifesto. Find out more about the book at Grant's Greenormal blog or his new marketing rant Brand Tarot.
The topic is too large to do justice to here, but Greenwashing.net and the Greenwashing Index both have some nice ideas about what's going on across the pond. Closer to home, my favourite new read is undoubtedly British Airways' CEO Willie Walsh's new eco column in the airline's Highlife magazine.
can you spell?
Posted by: Daniel K888 | Thursday, 31 January 2008 at 09:49 AM
I help run a website which is devoted to promoting exchanging and trading home grown local fruit and vegetables. We have had a lot of requests from large companies seeking some sort of endorsement or promotion.
Typically they have little to do with locally produced food, but want to promote their goods as such.
Posted by: James | Thursday, 31 January 2008 at 11:09 AM
lots and lots of companies clambering on the eco bandwagon at the moment, every company in the world from the local sweet shop to M&S boasting over there plans to become carbon neutral........
Carbon neutral, whats it all about, its about a lot of people and a lot of spreadsheets making very little difference...
Why cant the big companies just do something for the good of it..
I set up ecostore24.com that is aimed at all those who want to make a difference, full of real energy saving ideas. more importantly i set it up because i care and i want to make a difference.
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