Should agencies be calling for ad bans? It does rather look like shooting yourself in the foot.
A petition with signatories from over 60 organisations including creative agencies Lucky Generals (majority owned by Omnicom) and Elvis (part of Next 15) is calling for a ban on fossil fuel advertising or at least much tighter rules. The petition is organised by Clean Creatives, Purpose Disruptors and Creatives for Climate’
With more than 110,000 signatures, the original petition is set to be debated by MPs in parliament on July 7.
Fossil fuel demonstrators have recently invaded WPP’s lobby on London’s South Bank (they didn’t make it into the overcrowded office area, guarded as it is by a mystifying lift system.) This follows a raid last year on Havas’s London HQ after it won the Shell media business.
Lucky Generals head of social impact Lameya Chaudhury says: “Our industry always helped shape what’s next. But right now, we need to ask – are we shaping a future we believe in? Running fossil fuel ads is dangerous, outdated and out of step with the world we want to live in.
“At Lucky Generals, we’ve been moving with others on our journey towards climate action; joining Clean Creatives’ pledge to cut ties with fossil fuel polluters, rolling out anti-greenwashing training with Creatives for Climate, and backing the bold work of Purpose Disruptors. A ban isn’t extreme; it’s long overdue.” Agency CEO Cressida Holmes-Smith is a signatory.
The campaign groups say: “Fossil fuel companies are the cigarette companies of the 21st century” and an outright ban on fossil fuel ads would “benefit the long-term health of the UK advertising industry.”
Few people these days would challenge the ban on tobacco advertising even though such ads prompted some of the best sheer creativity the UK industry has produced, possibly because of the the then pretty tight rules. Fossil fuels though? Do they want to ban petrol? It’s all rather Extinction Rebellion – why don’t they protest outside the Chinese embassy?
The UK government is also considering a ban/far tighter restrictions on alcohol ads as part of its long-delayed plan to drag the NHS into the 21st century. According to reports, the Americans don’t like the sound of this…
Long term health of the ad industry though? Agencies are paid advocates, like barristers even though they’re not forced to take on clients. Havas looked pretty shifty when it took on Shell after boasting of its green credentials.
Much of the UK legacy media industry is kept afloat by a tidal wave of cheesy betting and gambling ads, with many agencies eagerly cashing in. Is this next? Most people would hardly miss them but the likes of Sky and other TV channels surely would.
Some things are surely best left to individual choices.