As marketers seek more green from green, it is inevitable that some will become greenwashing machines, laying claim to green without really being green. This month’s Vanity Fair is ripe with green ads–some good, some so so. Before I get into those, I wanted to site an article in this week’s AdAge about the risks of greenwashing:
Yet going green is a perilous business, especially for those whose actions aren’t as substantive as their ads. The way this wave of planet hugging differs from the last one, which petered out in the ’90s, is simple: scrutiny and accountability. Token environmental platitudes so boastfully touted won’t cut it. Glossy green print ads and TV spots will be easy targets for critics, and will be viewed as exercises in “greenwashing” or “eco-pornography” if their roots are not sufficiently deep.
Now onto a few of the greener ads in the Vanity Fair “green issue.”
Levi’s: After you make it through pages and pages of typical fashion ads you see an exquisitely fit couple wearing nothing but “New Levi’s Eco Jeans” that are “100% Organic Cotton.” The models cast a shadow across the page that transforms into a tree. Since the ad offers no other supporting copy, it is difficult to infer much about Levi’s commitment to green. Surprisingly, they don’t even provide a URL other than LevisStore.com which does not provide any further detail about the greenness of the products. Clearly, this is an effort to be on trend without making too much of it. I’m not saying this is a bad thing either. Since Levi’s is in the fashion business, they are probably smart to position their jeans as sexy clothes that happen to be organic. We’ll have to see what comes out in the wash with this one.
Yuban: Atop three stacked cans of Yuban Organic, “the latest in our line of sustainable coffees,” sits a red-eyed Amazonian tree frog. This endangered species is the poster tadpole of green and sends a organically clear message of Yuban’s commitment. This new direction for Yuban is undoubtedly an effort to revive sales in a declining category (canned coffee sales have tanked over the last ten years as Starbuck and Co have replaced homemade brews.) Unlike the Levi’s example, Yuban is actively riding the green wave and makes it the lead story on their website:
Making a difference…is as simple as brewing a delicious cup of Yuban coffee. As the world’s largest supporter of Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„¢ coffee beans, Yuban helps to protect the environment and support the people and wildlife in coffee-growing regions. So the next time you brew a cup of Yuban coffee, know you’re doing something good. Every sip counts.
AbundantForests.org: A four-page insert by this forest industry alliance discusses ways “to ensure that there will be abundant forests for future generations.” In addition to providing simple tips on how consumers can be more eco-friendly, the insert encourages readers to “plant it forward” a somewhat clever makeover of the do-gooder notion of “play it forward.” The ad caught my attention at first because I couldn’t identify any sponsoring companies. The supporting website reveals that almost every major forest industry company from International Paper to Weyerhaeuser is part of this coalition. Knowing the backers, I couldn’t help think that the fox was offering advise on how to protect the hen house.
So where does that leave us? Levi’s is selling fashion not green which is probably smart. Yuban is selling green not taste which could be problematic. Forest companies are promoting conservation of paper and wood products, the very goods that keep them in business. It’s all very confusing and while none of these are true examples of Marketing for Bad, it is worth reprising AdAge’s cautionary headline: “marketers’ environmental claims need substance or it’s little more than fertilizer.”