Stop shaming and start empowering: advertisers must rethink their plastic waste message
Advertisers that tell a good story can persuade the public of all sorts of things. But some messages are disingenuous and misleading, argues Sergio Brodsky.
Discussion of the environment is embedded in our culture as public awareness over issues such as climate change and plastic pollution has grown. Advertisers are not shy about tapping into this concern for their own benefit.
A Twitter analysis last year revealed that in the UK at least, the environment was a current and growing issue. Between January 2015 and March 2018, discussion on Twitter about single-use plastic, for example, increased by an incredible 5,543%.
Advertisers are already highly skilled at the power of narrative: reducing complexity and helping us make sense of their message. This power is amplified when the narrative taps into culture. A brand message, if successful, then becomes part of people’s conversations rather than interrupting them with ads they don’t care about.
Advertisers who tell a good story can persuade the public of all sorts of things. Some messages are positive and constructive. But a few are disingenuous and misleading.
Why don’t we just boycott their products completely to force them to change to packaging that does not harm the environment in anyway.
If we stopped buying their products they would move quickly rather than wait for legislation or have them bs and brainwash us with more advertising on how much they care, all the while dodging responsibility and the cost of what they are doing to our environment. No one needs to buy Coke. By buying it you are supporting climate criminals.
@Karen Of course that would be one of the most effective responses, but it’s extremely unlikely to happen. And it’s still putting the onus on the consumer to wield a big enough stick to force businesses and manufacturers to do better, when the Government could easily create legislation banning single use plastics or for example, force supermarkets to accept all plastic packaging waste, and they in turn charge fees to the brands/companies using this plastic in their packaging. There are many solutions out there, but almost zero political will from this government.
Speaking to a packaging manufacturer on the weekend, a lot of the issue is in the aesthetics- only virgin plastic can create the transparent plastic many brands desire. For the remaining products where you could sandwich old plastic between an inner and outer layer of new plastic, you need new tools and production, all of which is much more expensive than the status quo. Until there is a economic benefit i.e. market/tax signal in using recycled it’s a vanity exercise at best. Also, don’t forget the main game is CO2 reduction, and plastic pollution whilst very important shouldn’t be used to deflect action on what companies should be focusing on in their supply chains