The great Rachel Donald had a story on Planet Critical recently that I loved, about how impact builds, how we're all not just standing on the shoulders of giants but also part of an interconnected web and that connection makes us stronger. Today's speech from António Guterres, calling on PR and ad firms to stop greenwashing, and on the global media to ban fossil fuel advertising, is another great example. The organization DeSmog has been talking about the role PR plays in climate delay for more than a decade. Academic researchers Robert Brulle, Oreskes Naomi, Geoffrey Supran, and Melissa Aronczyk have done peer-reviewed research on the impact PR and ads have on climate policy. We at Drilled Media amplified that work and built on it with our pod season on the "Mad Men of Big Oil" in 2019 and published dozens of related stories and thousands of documents since. The folks at Clean Creatives have told us that work inspired them to focus on cleaning up the PR and ad industry, tapping into the many people working in that industry who want to work *for* not against a livable climate. Outside the U.S., Creatives for Climate (led by the brilliant Lucy von Sturmer) had already started that work, providing incredible resources, workshops, certifications and trainings, and Media Bounty, Purpose Disruptors and Andrew Simms (Badvertising) were calling for ad bans & leading on industry reform. In Australia, Comms Declare has been filing greenwashing complaints and pushing the industry to clean up its act. Last year, the Institute for Advertising Ethics launched a new certification program aimed at helping agencies avoid greenwashing. Several NGOs, advocates, and experts have worked on this for years too, including GSCC, Fossilfree advertising (led by the tireless Femke Sleegers), Christine Arena, and Genevieve Guenther, PhD. LOTS of organizers within firms and agencies whose names I can't mention because they don't need that heat have applied pressure from within, too. I'm sure I am forgetting someone and of course I don't know about every effort, so apologies in advance to anyone I've forgotten to credit (tell me and I'll edit the post to add you!). My point is that no one person, project, or event is *the thing* that creates change, yet we often still think about it that way. And look, was I excited to see Guterres use very Drilled language, calling PR and advertising "Mad Men fueling the madness"? Absolutely. But this one speech won't be the thing that changes everything, just like no one person's contribution to the discourse is the thing that made him call for that change. So here's to all the people working to change the world and seeing occasional glimmers that it might just happen. 💚
If you're looking for more resources on these "Mad Men" here you go: https://lnkd.in/etV5P3iY
and our ongoing Information Pollution investigation: https://lnkd.in/dGHkZBgw
For more on Guterres's speech: https://lnkd.in/dg-84Ww9
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6moAbsolutely, Kevin! 👏 It's high time we shine a spotlight on those smaller creative studios truly making waves in sustainability. Big doesn't always mean better, especially when it comes to genuine green initiatives. I've seen firsthand how some small agencies are innovating - like using recycled materials for their designs or dedicating time to pro bono projects for environmental causes. Let's give them the recognition they deserve!