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Arnold on ethical marketing

Top ten greenwash lines 

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With a forthcoming look at greenwash ads by the ASA, I thought I’d give a little advice to clients and copywriters about clichés in green ads. Here’s my top ten lines not to use.

You’ve read all the stuff about avoiding polar bears, green fields, flowers and other guff. So here is the top ten copy clichés, in no particular order.

  1. ‘…won’t cost the earth.’ I admit I wrote this line on an ad for Lucas Diesel Products back in 1994. Even then it was cheesy, even if it was probably one of the first of the green ads.
  1. ‘Turn over a new leaf.’ Promises, promises. People who are promising to reform always brings to mind that phrase ‘leopards never change their spots.
  1. ‘They won’t just be green with envy.’ Green with envy is a cliché even before it got the green make over.
  1. ‘Save more than just money,’ or ‘it’s not just money you’ll be saving.’ This line appeared in a well know greenwash bank ad recently.
  1. ‘Be the change in the world.’ or the original quote, "be the change you wish to see in the world", Gandhi said this and it appears in every CSR document.
  1. ‘A breath of fresh air.’ Unlike this headline.
  1. ‘We’re doing our bit.’ Usually means we’re doing bugger all but just enough to make a claim.
  1. ‘Putting people and planet before profits,’ Yeah. Right. As if.
  1. CO. Adapting CO in any name or line into CO2.
  1. ‘Together…’ Any suggestion of partnership in saving the planet usually comes from those exploiting it.

Other clichés include giving away free ethical bags, energy saving light bulbs and a 7 point guide to being green.

There is a growing number of new ones daily, feel free to add you own below. 

Published May 29 2008, 09:13 AM by CHRIS ARNOLD

Comments

by Mark Griffiths
May 29, 2008 9:59 AM
 
It's very easy to shoot things down like this, Chris. How about identifying what's good? The top 10 fresh ideas you really like - showing that people are making an effort to explain important issues in different ways. Or would it be too difficult to focus on good news when there's so much bad news you can just lazily pick off the shelf?
 
 
by Peter Martin
May 29, 2008 11:42 AM
 
Hard comment to follow, that, if not in glowingly positive terms. But it is a suggestion with some merit, if the critique on a post on Greenwashing seems a little po-faced, especially on a blog (not an entity oft noted for wall-to-wall thumby-uppiness in my experience. I am prepared to bet a few posts of late have even used the word 'hate' if I recall) on this topic. So, Mark, your starter for, um, ten? Fresh ideas (and what's not to like if they are?) showing brands are making genuine efforts and sharing them in their comms appropriately and creatively. I was going to pop a few down (and I'm sure there are some), but honestly will have to have a ponder and come back. I agree with Chris on bags and booklets (just got an insert from one outfit who had commissioned the Guardian and an eco-expert. Being they are online I thought that was choice), but whilst most certainly a cliche a long life (if they are), low energy bulb is better than most. And hence welcome (would even save the PM a red face on the old receipts).
 
 
by CHRIS ARNOLD
May 29, 2008 2:36 PM
 
Mark, there are lots of positive things, many I mention in other blogs and forums. The really lazy people are those using these terms. By highlighting the greenwash lines maybe readers and clients will be alerted to false claims, that way they'll think a bit harder about real things they can say rather than spin. And if they have no real claims they'll have to change their ways. Sometime using negatives (like the knife campaign) can generate more change.
 
 
by 2253820
June 2, 2008 3:25 PM
 
Using advertising to evoke environmental awareness is a positive thing, I think Chris’s original post has been slightly misconstrued …so back on to Chris’s initial request; green creative/copy clichés. I’ll throw one into the mix and sorry to name and shame but Morrisons’ in-store point-of-sale green campaign… “we’ve saved over 22 tonnes of own label packaging. That’s the equivalent of £1.7million sandwich cartons every day. Best thinking since sliced bread”….I’ll spare you the others “recycling plastic bags/handle on things”.
 
 
by dog eggs
July 18, 2008 11:54 AM
 

Chris, the penultimate point on the list  - adapting CO...

Recent Ricoh ad ring anyy bells?

 
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Arnold on ethical marketing

Ethics is the fastest growing area of marketing. From green campaigns to greenwash. It's hot. It's complicated. And most companies get it wrong.
 

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CHRIS ARNOLD

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Arnold on ethical marketing

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