Advertisers warned over cliched green images

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 14-Mar-08, 09:15

LONDON - Polar bears, melting ice caps and flowers are among the images advertisers use most to promote their green credentials, but they run the risk of a cliche meltdown as the same images appear again and again, according to Euro RSCG London.

Planners at the agency claim that the five most over-used green images in mainstream advertising and marketing are: polar bears on ice caps, flowers, children playing, exotic animal species, and blue skies with green fields.

Brands that have used the polar bears image include Ariel, HSBC, Philips and Ben & Jerry's.

Images of flowers have appeared in ads for Toyota, VW and Ibuyeco.co.uk, while children playing can be seen in Philips, B&Q and Earthwatch campaigns.

HSBC, Eon and GE have all included images of exotic animal species, while Eon, B&Q and Anchor Butter have opted for the blue skies with green fields image to persuade consumers of their commitment to the environment.

Euro RSCG is not immune from using cliched images itself though -- its ad for EDF Energy, released in January, includes images of a polar bear on an ice-cap, a children's playground and a shot of green fields and blue skies.

To be fair the idea behind the ad, called "It's not easy being green", is that it uses recycled film clips. It also includes an excerpt from JFK's speech stating that our environmental problems are man-made and a clip from a 1950s government ad urging consumers to watch their meter.

Russ Lidstone, chief strategy officer at Euro RSCG, said: "Many companies continue to use the same signifiers and symbols to represent 'the environment' in their communications. To the consumer the images fall into a sea of 'green' that fails to challenge or provoke appraisal.

"In addition, the reliance on the same images perpetuates the idea of greenwash -- lots of brands using the language of green, potentially without justification.

"Based on our research advertisers need to go back to basics, engage with consumers, understand their mindset and develop fresh ways to get their environmental message across in a compelling way."

Euro RSCG said that it analysed more than 100 ad executions from the past 12 months to arrive at the list of most over-used green images.

The agency then used this information in a series of discussion groups with consumers, which demonstrated that these images are increasingly failing to engage with consumers.

Comments

TONY ATTWOOD - 14/03/2008

It was ever thus - and is so in all industries. About half our work involves selling to teachers, and time and again we are given the same old images - lovely little children, cartoon teacher with a mortar board, teacher with blackboard, happy smiling faces. Mostly such advertising doesn't work. We ask the teachers why they didn't go for such ads and they say, "our school isn't like this - we didn't think it applied to us" Tony Attwood, Hamilton House Mailings plc

Alexi Lambrou - 14/03/2008

I agree. How often do I see a polar bear or engage with wild species and flowers - never. Show us how inner city poeple manage recycling, live greener in functioning suburban settings for example or promote eco friendly working environments that people will actually bother to keep up with and then you'll have my undivided attention. I do sympathise though as I want to increase green thinking where I work and the other day I was going to create a linkedin group about it. Coming up with a decent logo for example that doesnt use the old faves of a tree merging with a letter or similarly malformed internet 'e' mixed with a leaf or something is harder than it looks! "Oh design......"

Robin Brown - 14/03/2008

Yes, consumers are looking for help to navigate what is presented to them as a confusing and often alarming climate crisis. "Aspirational" or just plain irrelevant images do not provide that help.