Thomas Kolster

GOODVERTISING
Creative advertising that cares
Let us work together for greater good

If you want to get hold of me and have a chat about the possibilities and pitfalls
in the responsible revolution and how to take the three steps ‘Get naked, get
together and get out there’, then visit me at thomaskolster.com or on Twitter
@thomaskolster. I have more than 12 years’ experience in the communications
industry and have worked with a diverse range of clients from McDonalds to
Amnesty International. I’m also an experienced speaker on various topics and
lead workshops. I look forward to hearing from you.

thomaskolster.com
@thomaskolster

First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by

Thames & Hudson Ltd, 181A High Holborn, London WC1V 7QX

Copyright © 2012 Thomas Kolster

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UNDERSTANDING LOHAS* MARKET SEGMENTATION
*(Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability)

LOHAS
18% 43,000,000

NATURALITES n t a t ion &

Orie
12% 27,000,000 ation
Motiv vironmental
ns to en
Donatiso
group cians
r it ing to politi
w
Calling /
por t
lic trans
Use pub
e
Exercis
DRIFTERS s energ
y
Use les
26% 60,000,000
Conser v
e water

ns
emissio
Vehicle cs
acteristi
n c e fo od char
Avoida low sodium
low fat,
R
PE

ss
PA

pend le
oney / S
S ave m
CONVENTIONALS
27% 63,000,000

UNCONCERNED
17% 40,000,000

These markets identify the levels of influence and specific motivational and
behavioral drivers in each consumer segment across a multitude of factors.

Information provided by Natural Marketing Institute Source: NMI’s LOHAS Consumer Trends Database®
 INTRODUCTION

I don’t like most advertising. In fact I hate 99% of it. If somebody is Bough, Global Director of Digital and Social Media at Pepsi,
trying to sell me something then why is the communication so pushy? explains just how far reaching it is becoming: ‘More people have
Why is it so disrespectful? Why waste my time forcing me to watch voted for projects pitched to “Pepsi Refresh” than voted for the last
a commercial just so I can see the content I really care about? There US president.’ We are at the early stages of one of the biggest business
is, however, 1% of advertising that really makes a difference, and that transformations in history; and advertising is not exempt. This is
is where brands start by showing an interest in me – the consumer. In a development that no one can afford to ignore because it not only
that sense, this is advertising for good because the premise or licence requires new knowledge, but also demands a new approach.
to operate begins with shared interest. The brand begins a dialogue
about something that I happen to care about – and genuinely caring When bad can’t hide, good will win
brands take one step further and make a real, tangible difference in
my life. Brands now have nowhere left to hide. A well-connected online
community of people is exposing and judging brands’ steps and
In this way, I do believe that advertising can save the world and itself. missteps more than ever before. Look at websites such as WikiLeaks or
Yes, now I’ve said it – it’s out there. You may even chuckle when you other social networks and see how they have shaken governments and
read this. I’m not an idealist or a tree-hugger and, yes, ironically, global brands, and helped topple regimes in the Middle East. You
advertising has got us neck deep in today’s climate and humanitarian and I are just as much a part of that movement when we write an online
crises, but this just makes me even more confident that advertising can review criticizing the amount of sugar in a box of our children’s cereal
also get us out of it. Nobody knows consumers, brands and the market or post a Facebook comment about a company’s appalling customer
better than those of us in the advertising industry and we need to take service. That tweet or comment can inspire like-minded people and
on the challenge. evolve into a screaming kettle of consumer pressure on a brand, with
the power to change markets in minutes. As Naomi Klein pinpointed
From a quick laugh to a lasting difference in her book No Logo, ‘In many ways branding is the Achilles heel of the
corporate world’. Here is just one example: in 2012 McDonald’s used
A responsible advertising industry might sound hypocritical. At least, Twitter to promote their fresh produce along with their farmers, using
that’s how it used to be. In 2010, when Pepsi turned its back on using the hashtags #MeetTheFarmers and #McDStories. One tweet assured,
celebrities such as Britney Spears and a 23-year-long presence at the ‘When u make something with pride, people can taste it’. Only hours
Super Bowl, it signalled the end of advertising as we know it. Instead, after the campaign was launched, people took over the hashtags
Pepsi chose to make $20 million available to fund a community and fired some heavy shots at the Golden Arches. One of the worst
project, ‘Pepsi Refresh’, in the US and subsequently around the world. customer comments came from @Muzzafuzza, who said, ‘I haven’t been
This shift has shown not only that advertising has moved in a more to McDonalds in years, because I’d rather eat my own diarrhoea’. As the
responsible direction, but also that the mass market has too. Bonin example shows, you don’t own your story any more: people are telling it

6
 ‘Grrr’, Honda, Wieden+Kennedy, London (see pages 126–27)

for you, so you’d better make sure it’s a good one. In fact, a Nielsen
Global Online Consumer Survey from 2009 shows that consumers are as
likely to trust a complete stranger’s opinion online as a brand’s website.

Nothing but the whole story

People are no longer only interested in knowing if their new TV is making

them look trendy or design oriented, they also want – and sometimes
demand – to know its backstory. Where was the TV made? What is its
carbon footprint? How were the workers who produced it treated?
What materials were used to make it? Were any of these materials toxins?
Where did the raw materials used to produce the TV come from, and
under what circumstances were they extracted – in a death-trap of a
mine? And what happens when you throw it away? What harm to the
planet and people will it cause?

When the backstory of products moves to the forefront of the range of juices and succeeded in turning carbon emissions (a cost for
relationship with consumers it imposes a new reality on brands, in which companies) into a communication that connects with shoppers and
the advertised story no longer stands alone: the market talks. If you fail to might even push sales or deliver a premium price. Information like this
understand these issues, the backstories will catch up with you. Whether is most often hidden in a report, but, communicated in this way, it
intentional or not, when your advertised story doesn’t match your becomes a potential treasure chest for a brand such as Tropicana.
backstory it is commonly known as greenwashing.
There is no doubt that as soon as the true costs to nature have to be
With an increasing demand for companies to be accountable for their paid by companies – either forced upon them by mindful consumers,
environmental impact, both from legislators and consumers, more by regulators or by inevitable price increases on resources – change
companies are beginning to change their definitions of costs and will happen and those who are ahead of the curve will be the winners.
revenues to include the costs to the environment and people. Puma
is among the big players who have gone the furthest in measuring It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that our current way of living is at
their impact on the environment. In 2010 the company, together with odds with our planet and for the most part also ourselves and our fellow
consultancy firm PwC, found the cost of its impact on the environment humans. Our capitalist system is built on the idea of growth as the key
in terms of carbon emissions, water, land use, air pollution and waste to delivering higher standards of living. The real paradox is that our
to be €145 million. These calculated costs can be compared to Puma’s growth is dependent on natural resources such as fossil fuels, but these
net earnings of €202 million for that year. As Jochen Zeitz, CEO of Puma, resources are themselves finite. It is simple: endless growth based on
says, ‘The business implications of failing to address nature in decision- limited resources is not possible. I think this old Cree Indian proverb has
making are clear – since ecosystem services are vital to the performance a cunning foresight to it: ‘Only when the last tree has died and the last
of most companies, integrating the true cost for these services in the river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we
future could have significant impacts on corporate bottom lines’. cannot eat money’. We already need more resources than we have,
somewhere around 1.5 planets, to sustain our current lifestyle. If the
Another example is the global carbon trading system, which puts a value world’s current population of nearly 7 billion people were to have the
on pollution. Companies are given fixed quotas of carbon emissions and same lifestyle as Europeans we would need three planets – or five
if a company emits less carbon than the quota and thus pollutes less, it if they aspire to live like the Americans. And why shouldn’t they aspire
can sell the remainder of the quota to a more heavily polluting company. to the same standard of living?
It’s a great way of incentivizing businesses to behave better, and to keep
a cap on global carbon emissions. Why should consumers care about your brand?

One of the brands that shares its carbon efforts with consumers is Consumers have lost faith in brands. Havas Media undertook a global
PepsiCo’s Tropicana. They have introduced carbon labels on their consumer research study called ‘Brand Sustainable Futures’, and looked

7
INTRODUCTION

‘Selinah’, The Topsy Foundation, Ogilvy, ‘Back to the Start’, Chipotle Mexican Grill,
Johannesburg (see pages 148–49) CAA and Chipotle (see pages 26–27)

at over 30,000 people across four continents and nine markets. They This introduces a new reality to brands, in which making a difference is
found that two-thirds of consumers say that they don’t care whether not a matter of choice, but a matter of survival. This will force brands to
the majority of brands survive or not. In my opinion this is a shocking take three important steps from profit to purpose. They will have to:
revelation and shows that there is a lot of work to be done in rebuilding
trust. I believe the disconnection has happened because brands didn’t
seem to care about consumers or what consumers cared about. Why
Get naked
should consumers then care about brands? Get together
Consumers want brands to play a bigger role in their lives. In fact, the
Get out there
same research showed that an estimated 80% of consumers expect
corporations not only to take care of shareholders, but also to play With greater power comes greater responsibility
a significant part in solving the problems of society – from ensuring
good jobs are available, to making donations and going beyond legal As consumers expect more from brands, brands must meet those
requirements in minimizing pollution and other negative effects. needs. Business has traditionally been about maximizing profits, but
Alfonso Rodés Vilà, CEO of Havas Media, adds to these findings: ‘Brand today a belief in a more sustainable model is growing not only in small
Sustainable Futures highlights that sustainability is no longer about visionary companies, but also in big global conglomerates such as Nike,
responsibility; it’s about survival. Companies must embrace sustainability General Electric and Unilever. This is a consequence of businesses
as part of their core business and start developing a fluid dialogue with beginning to realize change needs to happen as their income is
shared thinking with consumers and other key networks in society so that threatened by a planet in crisis and scarce resources. The average
their brands contribute to a meaningful purpose.’ consumer expects brands to provide solutions and behave responsibly.
This challenges the old rules of the marketplace. I suggest ten
Unfortunately, research from the Natural Marketing Institute in 2011 guidelines that can help companies put their best foot forward.
showed that brands still have a long way to go: 41% of American In order to stay relevant, a brand should be transparent, connected,
consumers state, ‘I don’t believe what companies are saying about their simple, collaborative, compassionate, creative, contagious, generous,
efforts to protect the environment.’ This also hints at the difference insightful and positive.
between consumer intent and their actual behaviour when it comes to
buying sustainable products. Again, there is a lack of trust. Brands are Brands have a large part to play. In the last few decades companies
left with the task of rebuilding their relationship with consumers, with have grown into global conglomerates, and with greater reach their
regaining trust by making a real difference for people and the planet. power has become immense, outmuscling that of many governments.
It is no longer enough to say that you are doing good; consumers must Today, 51% of the world’s largest economies are corporations, and
be able to see it, feel it and believe it. these corporations are also the world’s biggest employers. Added to
that, brands touch every aspect of our lives through the products and For the same reason I don’t preach about corporate social
services we use. Every second of every day 10,450 soft drinks made responsibility – I advocate world-bettering communication and
by Coca-Cola are consumed. Think of the possibility if some of that innovation, in which the core idea is sustainable, particularly in
corporate might were used for good. an economic sense. It’s about sustainable corporate innovation,
sustainable corporate communication. If what you do does not
Creativity is the single biggest point of difference convert into more customers, market shares, products sold, relations
strengthened or brands built then your efforts will simply not last. It’s
In the debate about a new responsible revolution – in the articles, on more than OK that doing good is good business. If it’s not then we are
the blogs and on the bookshelf – a call for creative communication never going to reach the mass market with these initiatives. It’s about
seems to be missing. There should be a firm belief that the advertising finding the place where your brand or communication can play a vital
industry can make a real, world-changing difference. I think we role for change. It’s about how you can align your passion with your
should push for this again and again. Anyone in the communications compassion and your mission with a vision for a better world. It’s about
industry has a pivotal role to play and, since the industry played leading people to a new sustainable and responsible reality they might
a part in building and setting in motion the wagon of consumerism not even know existed. Can you tell that story?
and capitalism that is now driving us towards the edge of the cliff,
we should help solve these worldwide problems in a responsible, Money stinks – or does it?
sustainable and engaging way. Not only do we know the market and
the consumers, we also have an abundance of skills. We have built Are companies moral and responsible enough to live up to the task of
brands stronger than nations. We have built such strong relationships bettering the world? Only time will tell. A company is no better than the
with every little boy and girl from Copenhagen to Cape Town that sum of its people or the individuals chosen to control its power. Even
they can tell you why brand X is better than brand Y. The work we put though the size and strength of multinationals has outmuscled that of
out there can either help make the world a better place or reinforce governments, it’s important to remember that companies do live on
ignorance. It’s time to stand up as professionals and dare to put your the mercy of people and governments. PepsiCo’s visionary CEO, Indra
talents to good use. Nooyi, acknowledges that obligation in her wise words, ‘We believe
that every corporation operates with a licence from society and, as
If it’s not good business then it’s no good a company, we owe society a duty of care.’

Unfortunately, our hearts and wallets don’t always speak the same Don’t be afraid of greenwashing, be afraid of green
language. We might have an idea about what we should do, but nothing
our actions are in many cases still driven by price, convenience and
habits. People often change their behaviour because of rising fuel I’m going to defend the greenwashers (at least some of them).
prices or other cost incentives. I think this is a consequence of our Personally, I think it’s better that a brand adds to the responsible voices
capitalist-market thinking, in which money is king and time is money. in the marketplace rather than continuing to campaign for mindless
In that sense most people and most companies aren’t so different: consumerism – this is why I advise brands to ‘get out there’ and speak
money rules. up for change. In the end, it will make more people hear, ‘save the
world’ instead of ‘consume the world’. I don’t think consumers are
There are people who are still sceptical about companies doing dumb. They can easily figure out if the messages are hollow and
good with their marketing efforts, with their products or just in general. if promises are not acted on. In that way, they will put pressure on
I am often confronted with the question: isn’t this simply a very cynical the brand and the brand’s greenwashing attempt will turn into real,
way for companies to sell more? Yes, one hand is helping starving responsible efforts with tangible results.
children in Africa, while another is filling the companies’ pockets with
money. It’s up to you to judge, but I am not in doubt. The fact is that As such, I really don’t perceive greenwashing as a problem – I see
doing good is good business – starving children in Africa are being it as potential. It is a brand’s first, tentative step in a good direction;
helped continuously as opposed to being offered a philanthropic it’s a brand trying to talk the talk of sustainability. Look at Nike, for
gesture that ends when the money runs dry or a new cause grabs the example, and how the publicity about bad labour practices in the 1980s
attention of the donor. and 1990s has turned the company in a responsible direction – and how
they are held responsible for that pledge as the latest string of bad
INTRODUCTION

labour practice accusations against their Converse brand shows. We’re Sustainability is mainstream
not going to succeed if we have a negative focus, if everybody is talking
about what companies and brands are not doing. Let us celebrate Thanks to awareness campaigns, public debate and legislation, the
what has been done and support those who do something rather than majority of people not only remember to turn off their lights when
nothing – at least they’re trying! Think about that when you fear to leaving home (95%), but are also switching off electronic devices
take that first cautious step in a better direction or before you join the when not in use (90%) or turning the thermostat down a degree or
wolfpack of howling critics of greenwashing. Let’s go to work saving two. They recycle paper (61%) and think about conserving water (85%).
our planet and ourselves with a positive mindset. In the supermarket, more people are choosing the most healthy or
environmentally friendly products and bringing them home in reusable
Today’s business is as strange a notion as slavery shopping bags (48%). More people repair, reuse and share products.
One example of sharing is car clubs, in which people don’t own a car,
When our children look back on the way we did business, our practices but share one. Even in the US people are beginning to share rides and
will seem as strange a notion as slavery is to us today. How could we use public transport (17%). For some this is driven by higher fuel prices
be so oblivious to the harm we inflicted on people and the planet? and for others it is driven by conscience – or heart versus wallet, as
Couldn’t we see the icebergs melting or the chemical time bomb I like to put it. Over and above this information gathered by the Natural
ticking away in everything from food to clothing? Weren’t we aware Marketing Institute in 2011, an estimated 83% of US consumers are
that the planet’s resources and the ecosystem on which we so interested in sustainability in some shape or form. The mainstream
depended were being destroyed? We have to move away from market for sustainable products is definitely there, whether your brand
self-interest because we are not alone on this planet, either as a people provides benefits for health, our society or the planet.
or as a species. I can’t help but share this classic joke that adds a little
humour to our shortsightedness. Two planets meet each other and
Planet 1 says to Planet 2, ‘Hey, you look terrible!’ Planet 2 answers,
‘Yes, I know. I have Homo sapiens.’ Planet 1 says, ‘Don’t worry, I had
that too and it will soon disappear.’

For too long our thinking and our capitalist market have been about
the needs and, increasingly, the wants of companies, profiting at the
expense of others as well as the Earth. We are all equally important
global citizens and when it’s about getting there together, when it’s
about benefiting all stakeholders, not just shareholders, we all get
richer. A prosperous brand is dependent on a prosperous community.
Selling food that is fatty and unhealthy is a short-term profit-making
scheme that will result in an unhealthy community who will need more
sick leave. This results in fewer people being able to work, which means
there is less money to spend – and ultimately less money for you.
We need to change our behaviour and thinking to be inclusive,
instead of exclusive. I trust the steps and choices of the many will
lead to the wider systemic change that is needed: a world in which we
don’t produce waste and need no new raw materials. We need a more
sustainable economic system, we need a more sustainable relationship
with our environment and we need a more sustainable relationship
with each other. Brands should ‘get together’ and collaborate with
consumers, NGOs, governments, like-minded brands and even
competitors to find lasting solutions that will make a difference
for you and me and everyone.

‘The Big Knit’, Innocent (see page 192)

Anything you can do, I can do greener laundry powder and Ariel Coldwater (the ‘Turn to 30’ campaign). For
brands, the sustainability journey begins with the three steps ‘get
We have created extraordinary inventions and advances such as naked, get together, get out there’. It’s about leveraging genuine,
renewable energy that can take us one step towards sustainability. transparent efforts, collaborating with stakeholders to find solutions,
We may be able to be less inefficient – for instance, by using electricity and not being afraid to speak up for change.
more wisely – but we don’t need steps, we need a giant leap, and that
is something the market can deliver. The electric vehicle, for instance, The leap of a giant
is one such invention, but if left in the garage and never adopted by the
mass market what use are such inventions? In a fully transparent market The ability to use our collective creativity and wisdom has been
consumers reward companies that do good, advancing products that paramount for our success as a species in the past, and so it is now.
do good. It’s a positive circle of reinforcement. I call it the Wheel of This book is about people who believe in challenging our current
Good. As more consumers choose responsible companies, more system and dare to dream of a better world. For every step we take
companies become responsible and launch more responsible together in the right direction, we make the Wheel of Good spin faster.
products. When more responsible products are launched, more If we all band together and share the very best solutions for change, we
competition arrives which pushes the prices down and paves the way can take these solutions and implement them on a global scale, partly
for greater demand – and so the wheel gets bigger and spins faster. thanks to the internet and mobile solutions. It is no longer the step of
Consumers and marketing professionals all have a huge role to play in a single man, but the soaring leap of a giant. This first step is yours, but
spinning the wheel. Essentially, I believe if we can get it spinning fast be sure to invite someone along. You can begin by telling people about
enough and at a large enough size, the market itself can deliver the this book.
solutions to creating a sustainable and responsible future empowered
by informed consumer choices. There is no better time to be generous and share the very best ideas
and visions with the world. David Droga, Creative Chairman of Droga5,
With the Wheel of Good, the consumer demand for products that shared one of his proudest moments at Cannes in 2011 when he
deliver health, societal or environmental value becomes a mass- saw his agency’s Tap Project had been taken on in other countries
market concern. A Sustainable Future report by Havas Media from by other agencies. ‘It had nothing to do with me and I was so proud
2009 supports this change. Over 60% of consumers believe they that this idea is far bigger than us, far bigger than this and now it’s
can influence a company to behave more responsibly not by moved into different countries as this real, genuine, potentially
boycotting or punishing them, but by rewarding them by choosing amazing thing.’
their products.
This book features many interviews with people who believe
The competitors in the old marketing landscape are no longer only change needs to happen. Alex Bogusky left his position as Creative
competing on what they say, but equally on what they do and what Chairman of the advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky
tangible goals they put forward. The backstories are moving to the to search for purpose rather than profit in a new set-up he calls
forefront of their relationship with consumers. Arch rivals Pepsi and FearLess Cottage. In an interview Bogusky shares his fear that
Coca-Cola demonstrate this well. In 2009, Coca-Cola launched their one day his kids will ask him a question that will for once leave him
PlantBottle made from 30% renewable plant-based material. Just speechless: ‘The world is just a shit bag, dad, what did you do to
two years later, Pepsi introduced a bottle made from 100% renewable try and stop it?’ I’m certain the very same question will be posed
plant-based material. The new responsible competition follows the to brands by customers – and it had better not leave them speechless.
mantra: anything you can do, I can do greener. Morten Albaek bravely made a similar move from the banking
sector to the wind energy company, Vestas, so, in his own words,
Several companies are launching similar inventions to live up to such he could ‘positively impact the planet that I was inhabiting and
values and are helping spin the Wheel of Good faster. Procter & my kids will inherit from me’. You’ll also meet many other individuals
Gamble uses its products to pave the way for its environmental efforts who have dared to challenge our current paradigm. It’s about time
(backed up by advertising campaigns) and has pledged that at least we harnessed our collective wisdom and creativity to come up
$20 million in sales should come from products that have a smaller with better solutions for the future. Gandhi once said, ‘Be the
environmental footprint than similar products in their respective change you want to see in this world.’ I hope that by writing this
category, such as Duracell rechargeable batteries, Ariel high efficiency book I can encourage change and strengthen your belief in the
transformational power of creativity – and hopefully you’ll join me in For the tremendous task ahead a new set of knowledge is needed for
doing so too. anyone involved, from an art director to a marketing director:
‘environmental footprint’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘cradle to cradle’ should
Don’t invent a new box, invent a new product be as much part of their vocabulary as ‘social media’ and ‘TRPs’. The
future belongs to those who understand the new responsible agenda
It is now up to brands to prove they deserve to be trusted by consumers and dare to experiment and seek new solutions. One rule hasn’t
– and in doing so answer the ‘what’s (really) in it for me?’ question. Think changed: creativity is still the single biggest differentiator in the market
about how you can add value to people’s lives instead of interrupting – and a new market demands new ideas. This responsibility is yours:
them while they’re watching their favourite movie – and keep an eye big hearts and big ideas are needed.
on where the target group is on the scale between heart and money or
‘less bad’ and ‘more good’. If you are in the communications industry Your creativity is the only limit
use it as a tool to evaluate your effort, validating your creative work or
steering your concept in a new direction. There are so many places where you can make a difference. I hope
this book will inspire you to see some of the issues facing the world
Delivering sustainable value makes a major difference: on average, for which brands and communication can step in and find solutions.
corporate philanthropy accounts for 1% of a company’s surplus, You can introduce sustainable products to billions of people in the
whereas a company’s use of their products, market offering, innovation developing world at a price they can afford. You can create awareness
and even communication to do good can take advantage of 100% of around how people can eat more healthily. You can empower women in
their efforts. There is a great potential market for social and sustainable the developing world to get an education. You can aim high and, like
innovation and communication: it’s up to you to come up with the filmmaker and actor Jeremy Gilley, aspire to global peace. He
ideas for an ever expanding creative canvas. introduced one day a year, 21 September, when everyone around the
world is encouraged to put down their arms. There are so many great
Not only does fierce competition spark a bigger need for great ideas, things we can accomplish together. Again, your creativity is the only limit.
but so too does the urgent need of people and the planet. There are Although my views are biased after more than a decade in advertising,
more opportunities for innovation than ever before, as the stories I do believe that advertising has a central role to play in making the
about brands are not only about what they say, but equally about what Wheel of Good get bigger and spin faster. We have the ability to
they do and the rich soil of their backstories. In this new responsible change brands from the inside out – and make them realize that there’s
reality you have to look beyond the traditional media channels and no profit without a purpose. We not only have the creative muscle to
challenge everything from product to brand stories. In other words, come up with solutions, but also the power to influence the mind and
don’t just invent a new campaign, but reinvent the product, reinvent the behaviour of the future marketplace, as we have done with great
its lifecycle or reinvent the marketplace. success in the past. Together we can call for a movement of change

Top ‘The Lottery of Life’, Save the Children,

Lowe Brindfors, Stockholm (see pages 50–51)
with the ultimate goal of finding serious solutions for a sustainable This book is a wake-up call not only for businesses, because their
future, in which it’s not wealth, but wellbeing that defines success. financial standing is at risk, but also for creatives because their skills
really can make a difference. Most importantly, though, this is a
On the following pages you will see the power behind this movement. wake-up call for humankind because it’s really not about saving the
I’ve selected over 120 campaigns from all over the world that show planet, it’s about saving ourselves. My belief is, and always has been,
these crises have a creative solution. Leaders of agencies, businesses, that our single biggest relevance is creativity. This book is about great,
governments and NGOs believe in a new and more sustainable future world-bettering ideas – about our ability to come up with solutions
and in the interviews they have shared their best insights with you on when there seem to be none.
how to tackle this transformational tidal wave.

I hope the great work and the great minds of the people I have
It’s time for you to reply.
interviewed will not only inspire you to use your power for good,
but also inspire you to inspire those around you. I believe that by
sharing work, thoughts and ideas for good, we can inspire each
other to do greater good. That’s why I’m writing this book. Moreover,
I hope you will take personal responsibility and think twice about
your footprint. Use your vote as a consumer and citizen and your voice
as a professional to advocate change. It’s all about giving back – the
more you give, the more you get.

WHAT IS THE
Respondents were asked to indicate the 2%
importance of living a sustainable lifestyle
(Importance) as well as whether or not they 16 %
%
18

GREEN GAP?
usually take part in the activities that go hand
SUPER GREENS

31 %
in hand with this lifestyle (Behaviour).

The green gap is derived from the difference UPPER MIDDLE GREENS

48%
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE USA AND CHINA between these two responses.

33 %
%

LOWER MIDDLE GREENS

33

THE SMALLER THE GAP BETWEEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ACTION AND BEHAVIOUR, 19 %
GREEN REJECTORS
THE MORE SUSTAINABLE THE SOCIETY

85
DO YOU THINK THE GREEN MOVEMENT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO
80 89 MORE MASCULINE OR FEMININE? FELT PERSONAL ACTION WAS PREFERABLE
TO GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION

50 75 People are highly motivated when there is a clear link between

human health and sustainability. Sustainability is experienced
as a matter of life and death in China today and that is a major

30 14 reason why the Chinese care.

USA CHINA

Overall the Chinese are twice as likely as Americans to RED = Importance YELLOW = Behaviour GREEN = The gap Percentage of recepients that feel their
behave sustainably sustainable efforts amount to nothing
Feminine Masculine

93 98 93
77 88 81 78
68

32 25 14 14 41 9 32 7

27
45 U.S.A.
49
U.S.A. 63 79 84 84 U.S.A. 71
CHINA CHINA
U.S.A. CHINA CHINA

Percentage of American respondents who would rather Percentage of Chinese respondents who would rather
USING ECO-FRIENDLY RECYCLING BOTTLES, USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT, PURCHASING LOCALLY cure cancer than save the environment save the environment than cure cancer
CLEANING PRODUCTS CANS AND PAPER BIKING OR WALKING TO WORK GROWN FOOD

afrographique.tumblr.com
MORE? designgap.tumblr.com

13
 Interviewing Alex Bogusky is not something you take lightly. This is the
man who fronted some of the most audacious ad campaigns in recent
memory, the man who was described as the Steve Jobs of advertising.
Strange then that it was really quite easy to get hold of him and set up

Interview
a Skype interview, and strange also that I wasn’t interviewing him in his
huge office at Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B), but in a little house
known as FearLess Cottage.

ALEX BOGUSKY Alex has recently left CP+B and set many tongues wagging and teeth
gnashing in the process. This was the guy who must have sat in on a
creative meeting and gone, ‘Hell, yeah, we’ll make a fragrance for Burger
King that smells like hamburgers!’ but he’s also the guy who wrote
The 9-Inch Diet, a book about portion control. This dichotomy, this
multi-pronged personality is what makes Alex Bogusky one of the most
interesting men in (or out) of advertising.

To some, Alex’s story is one of hypocrisy (if you believe the zealousness
of, well, zealots), but in my interactions with him he seems nothing but
genuine and heartfelt. His story, rather than being that of the mysterious
conjurer – pulling whoppers out of a hat – is really one of redemption.
Having been involved in advertising for a decade and having spoken to
many different people on the advertising hamster-wheel, I understand
his concerns. I understand the drive to use your creativity for something
good rather than to sell more products at the expense of people and the
environment. Rather than Alex being a hypocrite, force-feeding fast food
to children, he’s someone who wants to make amends, to leave the Earth
just a little better than he found it.

Alex’s new initiatives – Common (a social brand-licensing programme)

and FearLess are his attempts to speak the truth and to say what he really
believes. He explains the uneasiness he began to feel in his final years at
CP+B, ‘I would say it was a year or a year and a half where you just
start to get a bit uncomfortable, and you’re just like – uuuh, I don’t
know. I’m not able to say what I think about things and I was in this
speech and people were asking me questions and it was really hard
to navigate.’

Many people have accused him of being a hypocrite, and even of being
a psychopath, which Alex himself admits is quite funny, but in his rebuttal
he says something I agree with, ‘If you’re going to be afraid of being
called a hypocrite, then I guess you can never change your mind
about things.’ He makes a good point and in the advertising world,
where we are taught the importance of a ‘Single Minded Proposition’,
back-tracking is in some ways a form of heresy.

He goes on in the same vein when talking about Al Gore and his tireless
efforts to do something about the world’s climate crisis (Alex is currently

22
consulting on Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project), ‘People like Al Gore go-between for brands and consumers then it has to start being more
are called hypocrites because he’s worried about the climate but responsible and, most importantly, more truthful.
he also drives a car. If that’s what’s going to stop us then we’re all
stopped and there can be no change and that’s a tragic problem.’ I can see, after speaking to him, that Alex is revelling in his new-found
truth and this is something we can perhaps all try to emulate, no matter
As I talk to Alex via Skype, I see the real side to him – a man who is trying our status. He is a man in search of the answer. He admits that he is not
to make amends, trying to find a new way to use his considerable talents even sure that FearLess and Common have come to full fruition yet –
to make the world better. During the interview a hailstorm started up they are still finding their purpose, much like the man himself. He said
and, without missing a beat, Alex picked up some of the hail and showed something great about his motivation and his children, ‘I definitely have
it to me; at other times I could hear a dog barking in the background. the ability for a certain amount of time to just take my voice and
I think he’s really taking joy in his realness. To hear him talk about the lend it to things that I think are going to affect my children’s future.
rather huge dent he’s taken in salary and how he moved from a life in And when the future comes we can have one of two conversations,
which everything was set – great job, great salary, no need to prove they can either say to me: “Thanks, dad, that was awesome”, or
himself any more – to a life that is much less certain, you appreciate the they can say: “The world is just a shit bag, dad, what did you do
personal journey he has made and the bravery involved in his decision. to try and stop it?” And I can say I did this, this, this and this.
I did what I could and I’m sorry that it turned out this way. I know
Someone who worked on a global scale, Alex is now enjoying spending that conversation is coming and I don’t want to be unprepared
his time working on small local projects. He has invested time and money either way.’
into a bicycle company in Alabama that produces bikes from bamboo
and into a peanut butter company called Justin’s Nut Butter. They are Given the time difference between Cape Town and Colorado, by the
two small(ish) companies that have values in which Alex believes. This time we were finishing up our interview it was close to two o’clock in
sets the trend for responsible consumption and investment that the the morning for me, but in my tired state Alex said something that gave
world should see more of – people love brands that speak to them and me hope that advertising for good was here to stay. ‘When you take
are honest. Alex told me a story about Justin’s Nut Butter and their what a typical corporation does with their millions of dollars in
packaging problems: about how when he raised the issue with them advertising and you somehow shape that in a way that it does
they didn’t go off and sulk, but changed their packaging for the better – good, right? That’s the highest order of advertising. That’s the
because that’s what they believe in. most sophisticated, brilliant, sexy, hot, cool thing you can do.’

When talk turns to advertising and the power of doing good we move
into some very interesting territory. He speaks about how advertising is
moving from a fictional story told to consumers to a dynamic, real-time,
honest account of what a company is doing. ‘What’s most interesting in
marketing right now is how you are actually acting as a company…
If you can tell a real-time, transparent story about who you are as a
company and what you care about and what you’re doing, if you can
tell that in such a way that it’s compelling – that’s where marketing
is most interesting now… When the consumer is like, I really like
transparent companies,’ says Alex, dancing from side to side like
That’s the highest order of
a concerned consumer, ‘I like companies that do good things! The
corporations are like: WHAT? We need some more of that! Where’s
advertising. That’s the most
the consumer going? I want to follow the consumer…’ sophisticated, brilliant, sexy, hot,
Alex sees a chance for advertising to move into business partnership,
rather than just acting as a tool to promote sales or increase brand
cool thing you can do.
awareness: ‘I think if you’re in advertising and you’re not thinking
about corporate structure and you’re not thinking about [product]
lifecycles then I think you’re irrelevant.’ If advertising acts as a

23
1. TRANSPARENCY

CALL + RESPONSE Call + Response is an organization that This note is also posted to Twitter so
Muhtayzik Hoffer, San Francisco aims to educate people about economic brands will pick it up as they monitor
THE SLAVERY FOOTPRINT slavery and the shocking conditions social media. In addition, the campaign
under which some products are is partnered with MTV in the US to see
manufactured. On their Slavery which university can earn the most Free
Footprint website you can take a survey World Points, awarded for choosing
that estimates how many slaves you more ethically sourced products.
have ‘working for you’. As you fill out By creating an interesting, engaging
the survey, you are provided with facts way to give consumers information, this
about economic slavery along the way. campaign deals with a serious subject
There is also a mobile app called in a way that lets people know they
‘Made in a Free World’, that allows can be part of the solution. The aim
users to enter the name of a brand and of the Made in a Free World label is
look at how ethical, labour-wise, the to become a product label like Fairtrade
brand’s supply chain is. It checks in on or WindMade – to show which products
Facebook at two places at once – the are made under good working conditions.
store and the brand. These check-ins In the first two months alone more than
then appear on 1,000 Facebook pages two million consumers took the survey.
that have been built to show the This is not the last we have seen of
slavery impact of various brands. the Made in a Free World label.
The app then lets users send a note
directly to the brands saying, ‘I want to
know about slavery in the supply chain’.

32
 The national team kits represent
an important step in the process
to make all Nike products
more sustainable.
NIKE

NIKE In a responsible and committed move, something that can only resonate
BOTTLE T-SHIRT Nike rethought the material used to positively with their audience. Brand
make their soccer jerseys for the 2010 moves like this are difficult to fault and
FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They do great work to get people believing in
used recycled polyester made from your brand promise and environmental
plastic water bottles – up to eight commitment. Your brand wins and the
bottles were used per jersey. To make planet wins too.
these 2010 national team kits, Nike’s
fabric suppliers sourced plastic bottles
from landfill sites in Japan and Taiwan
and then melted them down in order to
produce the yarn that was ultimately
used for the jerseys.
By doing this, Nike managed to
reduce their energy consumption by
30% compared to manufacturing virgin
polyester and they prevented just under
13 million plastic bottles from going to
landfill sites. This is the equivalent of
around 254,000 kg of plastic waste,
which could cover 29 football pitches.
This commitment from Nike to
produce more responsible apparel is

33
1. TRANSPARENCY

CITRIC
DraftFCB, Buenos Aires
NON-PROCESSING PROCESS

To show how natural Citric juice is,

the company decided to explain their
non-processing process. This series
of print ads shows how in each instance
the production of the juice bypasses
the factory. Through slick, witty
art direction, we see how Citric juice
avoids processing.
It’s simple, it’s transparent and
it lets consumers know immediately
that what they are getting has not
been processed in any way.

28
VESTAS With WindMade, Vestas and their how much wind energy helped make a customers. As more consumers drive
Droga5, New York fellow founding partners created the product. This extra information allows the need for these products, more
WINDMADE first label of its kind – a label that consumers to make an even more companies will want to source green
shows consumers which clean energy informed choice when shopping and electricity, positively reinforcing the
source produced the electricity used to rewards brands that use wind energy entire cycle.
make their favourite brands and, in turn, to produce their products.
their favourite products. The creation of In a selfless move, Vestas has
the WindMade labelling programme partnered with other wind industry
means that companies will be able members, global brands, NGOs and
to inform their consumers about how technology experts to make this
much clean electricity is used for its initiative happen. Vestas realized that
operations, and consumers will be able uplifting all wind energy is a positive
to buy products based on their energy move for all the players in the game,
‘ingredients’. The label, which can be even if they are traditional competitors
used anywhere in the world, will display or even non-traditional energy

A rising tide raises all the boats.

DAVID DROGA, CREATIVE CHAIRMAN OF DROGA5

29
 Morten Albaek is a writer and an academic, and was a banker in a former
life. He was the youngest ever Senior Vice President of Danske Bank,
a leading bank in Northern Europe, but was dealt a life-changing blow
when his father passed away at the age of 64 – Morten was just 32 at

Interview
the time. He realized then that if he were to live as long as his father then
he was already half way through his life. This made him reassess his life
and what he wanted to do with the next 32 years; through coincidence,

Morten Albaek kismet or divine intervention he found himself in talks with Vestas.
Soon after that he took a job as a Senior Vice President there. I was lucky
enough to speak to him about ‘WindMade’, an ambitious new project
from Vestas, his views on the business world and sustainability, and the
challenges facing wind energy in the future.

We began by talking about WindMade, the first initiative of its kind to

show customers which products are produced by wind energy and
which aren’t. WindMade is one of the first large-scale projects in this field
that is at once generous, transparent and collaborative. Morten explains
it as follows, ‘WindMade is the world’s first global consumer label
for wind energy – or actually for any single energy source. The
effort was spearheaded by Vestas, but was founded by a collection
of global partners including the WWF, UN Global Compact,
Bloomberg, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lego and the Global Wind
Energy Council. WindMade is not just a labelling programme,
though – it is a movement. It is designed to catalyse markets for
renewable energy above and beyond what the industry and the
political system has managed to do to date. They want to give
consumers a choice that they don’t have when they go down to
the supermarket in Delhi, Berlin, Sydney, Cape Town, Beijing, Rio or
Portland – and that is to choose between a product that is produced
by an energy source that is sustainable and not ruining the planet,
namely wind, and a product that doesn’t disclose what energy is
used to produce it.’

This is something that had been brewing at Vestas for a while. ‘We
started noticing a couple of trends a few of years back. The first
trend had to do with our customers. Traditionally, we sell our
wind power plants to utilities and large energy companies whose
core business is to develop and sell energy. But we soon saw that
non-traditional customers, mainly global corporations that were
thoughtful about their energy footprint, were starting to invest
in wind farms and become more active in energy procurement.
The second trend we noticed was that the average global consumer
was becoming more knowledgeable about the type of energy used
to power their world. They wanted to know how their favourite
products were made, including the type of energy used to produce
them. It is like wanting to know nutritional information about the
foods you choose to eat every day.’

68
 Vestas itself is proud to be one of the greenest companies in the world,
with a large workforce that prides itself on passion and commitment.

WindMade helps the brands At the same time, they are all optimistic and fiercely positive. ‘I, as well
as my more-than-22,000 colleagues at Vestas, believe that mankind
is born sensible and when sensible people are exposed to facts,
we know and love tell this story information and new insights – in other words enlightened – their
sensibility will be activated and their behaviour will change, and as
to the global citizens who are a consequence the world will change… It is an incredible privilege
and deeply inspiring to work in an organization where, due to the
ready to listen. purity of what we do, the purposes of capitalism – efficiency and
revenue and returns – and the core meaning of humanism, which
is namely putting the wellbeing of people first and above anything
else, are truly merged and interlinked.’

Despite Vestas’s ardent belief in what they do they still encounter

issues when dealing with the government and also in terms of the
Vestas is spearheading a new type of capitalism, in which the entire pace at which Vestas would like to grow. ‘I believe that the lack
industry is integral to success. By laying down their swords (for now) of long-term, consistent policies from governments is really
competitors in the wind energy game are working together to improve detrimental to swift progress in terms of the new energy future.
the entire industry and thus the world. Everyone wins on all levels – People often talk about the subsidies for renewables, but in
from financial growth through to knock-on effects for the environment. reality these are dramatically trumped by the subsidies of fossil
‘WindMade is designed to enhance the entire market for wind fuel industries. How many people know that in 2009 and 2010
energy by activating new customer segments. Its success depends fossil fuels received approximately $400 billion in subsidies and
on creating a foundation of credibility and by building trust with renewables only $37 billion? It is hard to be competitive when we
the companies and consumers we want to involve. By creating an aren’t competing on equal terms. Transparency into subsidies for
independent non-profit organization that has the support of our all energy industries is drastically needed.’
industry and other partners such as the UN and the world’s most
trusted environmental NGO, the WWF, we have created a much With luck governments can address these issues, and hopefully the
more powerful tool than just a traditional marketing label.’ pressure to change can come from consumers. Morten thinks that
consumers are the answer and that advertising has a big role to play
The WindMade mark is not only designed to help consumers make in disseminating positive, empowering messages and maintaining
more conscious choices, it also allows greater transparency. ‘One of the honesty. ‘It is clear that consumers want the trust, not just
key elements of WindMade is that it’s clear and easy to understand. information that makes them feel good. Advertising will have
A consumer will know exactly what source of energy was used to find a way to remain creative without deceiving consumers.
to make a product or to power a company. We have a strong It will have to offer creative transparency.’
belief that the model for WindMade will easily translate to
other renewable industries and we definitely envisage a family At the end of our conversation I hear a sobering, pragmatic thought –
of “clean-made” labels developing in the near future… WindMade one that tells me we will all be more like Morten in the future as we
and other “clean-made” products will have impacted the entire attempt to put right the wrongs we as mankind have done. ‘I would
supply chains, changed the consciousness of consumers and helped much rather compete with other wind companies in a thriving wind
lead to an increased supply of renewable energy to the world.’ market than in one that is non-existent.’ Long may Morten and Vestas
be competing.
At the launch in New York towards the end of 2011, WindMade had
already been adopted by several leading companies, including Motorola
Mobility, Deutsche Bank and Bloomberg. It seems as if WindMade is off
to a promising start.

69 % of girls say magazine models influence their idea of a perfect body shape
7. CONTAGIOUSNESS

NIKE
Wieden+Kennedy
and AKQA, London
THE GRID

Nike wanted to engage a new generation

of 17–22-year-old runners and, with an
innovative use of London’s telephone
boxes, they turned the streets into a fully
interactive game grid. Runners were
encouraged to check in at predetermined
phone boxes in order to mark their
progress as they ran through 40 of
London’s postcode areas. After registering
online, runners just had to dial in their
unique code and run from box to box.
Each run logged points and players were
rewarded extra points for speed, stamina
and knowledge of the streets. The more
runs you logged in a 24-hour period, the
more points you scored. As each postcode
was essentially a ‘team’, whichever
postcode logged the most points won the
competition. Building from the idea of
Nike+, this campaign encouraged running
and gamified it like never before. The
bragging rights available for winners and
the badges they could win incentivized
running and competition in a unique,
authentic way. The social aspects of the
campaign were also groundbreaking,
enabling users to interact with Nike and
work together to try to win. The results
speak for themselves, with over 125
runs logged per hour, 74% of the players
within the young target group and 20,000
kilometres run in total.

168
 B:8.75”
T:8.5”
S:8”

B:11.25”
S:10.5”
T:11”
ELIJAH WOOD ALICIA KEYS
ELIJAH SACRIFICED HIS DIGITAL LIFE TO GIVE REAL LIFE TO MILLIONS OF OTHERS AFFECTED ALICIA SACRIFICED HER DIGITAL LIFE TO GIVE REAL LIFE TO MILLIONS OF OTHERS AFFECTED
BY HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA AND INDIA. THAT MEANS NO MORE FACEBOOK OR TWITTER UNTIL WE BY HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA AND INDIA. THAT MEANS NO MORE FACEBOOK OR TWITTER UNTIL WE
BUY HER LIFE BACK. VISIT BUYLIFE.ORG OR TEXT “BUYLIFE” TO “70500” TO BUY HER LIFE NOW.
BUY HIS LIFE BACK. VISIT BUYLIFE.ORG OR TEXT “ELIJAH” TO “90999” TO BUY HIS LIFE NOW.
buylife.org
SMS donations are charged at £5 to your phone bill. Always seek the permission of the bill payer. Keep a Child Alive will receive a minimum of 81% of this fee
due to network charges and processing. Photograph of Alicia Keys by Markus Klinko & Indrani, styling by GK Reid. buylife.org

KEEP A CHILD ALIVE

AD012
TBWA\Chiat\Day,
JOB#:
New York CAMPAIGN: DIGITAL DEATH FILE: AD012_KCA_ALICIA_KEYS_DD_AD FONTS
Downturn
Style
Heavy, Regular Ultra
CLIENT: KEEP A CHILD ALIVE PUBLICATION: SAFETY: 8” x 10.5”” Helvetica Oblique

DIGITAL DEATH UK
TITLE: ALICIA KEYS AD
DATE: 11-26-2010
TRIM: 8.5” x 11”
BLEED: 8.75” x 11.25”

From the bottom of my heart, In order to raise awareness and, more The amount was reached in just

thank you to all of the fans, friends importantly, funds for AIDS treatment
in Africa and India, Keep a Child Alive
five days, with fans donating $500,000
and noted pharma billionaire and

and artists who joined this cause. (a charity started by Alicia Keys and
Leigh Blake, a renowned charity
philanthropist Stewart Rahr matching
the amount.

I’m incredibly inspired by all of the worker), in association with world

famous celebrities, created the ‘Digital
Death’ campaign. Celebrities as well
With this inventive use of ‘creative
blackmail’, Keep a Child Alive was
able to raise awareness through
donations that have been made to known as Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake,
Alicia Keys, Usher, Ryan Seacrest, Kim
over 30 million people who followed
these celebrities on Twitter. At the
help us achieve our goal and so Kardashian and Elijah Wood all died
digitally, leaving their Twitter accounts
same time, other Twitter users were
encouraged to die digitally to raise
humbled by the outpour of support and Facebook pages silent.
The only way to get them back
awareness, with over 3,600 people
doing so, extending the reach
from everyone. was to ‘buy their lives back’ by visiting
a website and donating money.
of this campaign even further.

Once donations had reached $1 million

ALICIA KEYS, KEEP A CHILD ALIVE
these celebrities would revive their
digital lives, sharing with their fans.

169
 David Droga is currently one of advertising’s biggest players. With his
agency, Droga5, he has created an independent agency that is cleaning
up at awards shows and pushing the boundaries of how much good
advertising can do. Coming from Australia, with a mother who is an

Interview
environmental activist and a father with an astute nose for business,
David tells me that his father always wanted to rule the world and his
mother wanted to save it, and I can see these traits coming through when

DAVID DROGA we speak.

David is without a doubt a driven man. He’s been in the advertising

industry for decades and is still one of the hardest-working people
around. As many people who work in this industry will know, advertising
is not a job you leave at the office and David uses that restlessness and
drive to push the boundaries not just of what advertising can do, but also
of what advertising is. Initiatives such as the Tap Project (page 80) and
Million (page 185) show a deep understanding of communication and
how advertisers’ skills can be used to make the world a better place.

The Tap Project, in particular, is very close to David’s heart in terms of

its impact and reach. ‘It very much transcended regular advertising,
for me, and it set a precedent of what I want to try and achieve in
advertising, which is: yes, we’re an idea-generating company and
we’re in the business of marketing and building brands, but it’s very
much coupled with using our creativity for good or, as I always say,
creativity with a purpose. [It’s about] transcending the disposable
nature of advertising and [proving] that it’s the size of the idea not
the size of the budget that is what is at stake now.’

David told me that one of his proudest moments was being at Cannes
in 2011 and seeing that the Tap Project had been taken on in other
countries, where other agencies were doing creative work for it that he

If brands want to play a genuine

part in society, then they have to
contribute to society.

More than 136 million women worldwide give birth every year
knew nothing about. ‘It had nothing to do with me and I was so proud David’s vision for Droga5 is ambitious, outrageous even, but there’s
that this idea is far bigger than us, far bigger than this, and now it’s something about his drive and his determination that you cannot deny.
moved into different countries as this real, genuine, potentially ‘I want to build the most influential creative company in the world.
amazing thing…seeing other agencies seeing that as a creative I know that’s a ridiculously ambitious thing to say, but that’s my
opportunity… I’ve got more pride from that than I did with all the goal. By influential, I mean at a size where we can effect change.
Grands Prix and everything else – not saying that there’s anything Where we can contribute to industries, build brands, ensure social
wrong with Grands Prix… The thing about the Tap Project is that, change, social good, influence pop culture, all these types of things.
as an agency, it’s done more for the morale and the ethos of who I want to feel that whatever category we’re put in we can effect
we are internally, in terms of personal pride, when we talk at the some positive change [and] I want to see that our ideas outlast
dinner table about what we do. It’s unbelievable. It accentuates my media budgets… We want to be the best at getting better.’ Given
belief that all the biggest ideas are grounded in the everyday and the track record of Droga5 – four Cannes Titaniums in five years (the most
the very obvious.’ Titaniums won by an agency ever), they are a horse you’d be a fool not
to bet on.
Bearing these initiatives in mind, David sees the communications
industry as having a powerful role to play not only in broadcasting When it comes to advertising for good itself, David has the following
positive messages, but also in making a lasting contribution. ‘The advice and opinions. He suggests you start by asking the following
world is conscious of its contribution, of what it does. The industry questions: ‘What’s the reason for your brand’s existence, beyond
is conscious of the messaging and the footprint that it has out there making money? What is its place in the world? It’s not just what you
and brands want to put their best foot forward. The collective say, but what does your brand do? What is the body language of
brain power and strategic power and all the will and energy of your brand? That’s what I always say. How it acts, more than what
our industry can be transformational. I know we’re greasing the it’s saying… My favourite saying is: this industry was built around
wheels of capitalism and we do a bloody good job of that but the us making wrapping paper for 50 years, yes, we still make the
imagination and creativity – it’s going to be one of the things that wrapping paper but we can start affecting what’s in the box as well.
changes the world. I really believe it. Some of the biggest issues And that excites me no end.’
facing us will be solved by scientists and doctors, and thank heavens
for that, but there are other things where if we tackle problems I’ll pass on David’s challenge and ask, ‘What are you going to put into
laterally then we can contribute a little bit, even if it’s one percent the box?’
or two percent or whatever, I mean how spectacular is that?’

For David, it all boils down to honesty and action. Brands and companies
have to walk their talk in order to be accepted by the new, aware
consumer. ‘If brands want to play a genuine part in society, then
they have to contribute to society. Now I’m not saying that the
responsibility for everything falls on every brand, but if you profit
from housewives and mothers then you should play a role and
contribute to their lives… The industry has changed drastically –
the principles are the same, but it’s moved from what you say to
what you do. And that’s how you’ll be judged. And I’m not saying
that suddenly a soda company has to solve leprosy, but you know
if you want to be a global business and you actually want to reap
the rewards of that. The thing is…with governments, they have huge
amounts of money but they go where the votes go. So they only
have to be seen to act every four years, whereas consumers vote
every day. Every single day that they make a purchase, they are
voting, in essence. So brands have to have a more day-to-day
contribution to the world.’

137
3. SIMPLICITY

GREENPEACE
DDB, Paris
BOOMERANG

These billboards were created by

Greenpeace in France to remind people
that environmental apathy quite literally
‘comes back to you’. By dealing with
issues such as pollution, water usage,
recycling and nuclear energy, these
billboards provide consumers with
something that is thought-
provoking and visually interesting.
By being both insightful and simple,
these executions speak directly to
consumers and expose just how
shortsighted climate ignorance
really is. The messages on these
boomerangs are feelings we have
all felt or considered at some time
or other. By personalizing such
problems, Greenpeace makes it
easier for consumers to act on them
in a way that will be beneficial to the
environment and to themselves.

78
 The legalization of marriage for
gay and lesbian couples in Vermont
is certainly a step in the right
direction, and something worth
celebrating with peace, love –
and plenty of ice cream.
WALT FREESE, FORMER CEO OF BEN & JERRY’S

BEN & JERRY’S

HUBBY HUBBY

To show their support for the passing

of a law in Vermont that allowed
same-sex marriage, and in partnership
with the organization Freedom to Marry,
Ben & Jerry’s renamed their Chubby
Hubby ice cream Hubby Hubby. For an
entire month in Vermont, the renamed
packaging featured the wedding of two
men in tuxedos as opposed to the usual,
plainer packaging. They also announced
a special sundae that was available in
their stores as part of the celebrations.
As a company that has always had
a social conscience this was a great
move for Ben & Jerry’s – it showed
people that they really care about
social issues and are willing to
speak out about them. The campaign
generated massive buzz and press
coverage, reaching an estimated
430 million consumers.

79
 Hannah Jones, a major player in the world of brands and sustainability,
is Vice President of Sustainable Business and Innovation at Nike. Her
work with Nike has been groundbreaking, pushing the Oregon-based
giant forwards into a sustainable future. First we talk about Hannah

Interview
herself and her motivations for joining the business world – she studied
philosophy and worked in the media industry before joining Nike.

HANNAH JONES ‘I saw that there was a role to be played within business, effecting
change and helping businesses to look at their environmental and
social impact in a different way.’ It is this personal drive that makes
Hannah so powerful in this field. ‘I am profoundly concerned that we
are not doing nearly enough to shift the way in which we run our
lives, our communities and our economies in the face of scarce
natural resources, climate change and social inequity. I have a huge
sense of urgency about the need for change, and I see political
systems failing us.’

When we speak about how she sees the future – because, let’s be
honest, we are not guaranteed a smooth ride in the next few years –
Hannah offers a glimmer of hope. ‘I’m a pessimistic optimist. I always
believe in our capacity for change and innovation, but I am deeply
concerned about how long it will take for us truly to change our
behaviour and wake up. I am concerned it will take a huge disaster
to which the systems will have to react.’ I must agree with her:
worldwide collapse is not the motivator we are looking for in this fight.

Moving on, we talk about where the responsibility lies in this issue –
is it the public, the governments or the brands and corporations
themselves who should step up? Again, we see that we are going to
need to band together to face the coming problems. ‘I think there’s
a collective responsibility to effect system change. Companies will
need to decouple their growth from scarce natural resources. To
do that, though, companies also need consumers, governments
and civil society to effect change. So the real responsibility we all
have is to collaborate in a very different way and all pull the levers
we can best control or influence.’ So the message is that if we all
do what we can then we can make a difference. Hannah outlines how
she sees it. ‘Just doing one thing can make a difference – but
depending on where you sit, what you do and the life you live it
will be different. But if I had to highlight two things, they would
be how we vote and how we consume. Using one’s personal power
to send a signal of intent is key.’

From there, we turn to the prickly issue of Nike’s labour practice

scandal in the 1990s. Hannah, admirably, owns up to it and speaks
plainly. This embodies Nike’s warrior spirit and shows how transparent
Nike is willing to be. ‘It was the start of our journey, and it was a

98 % of American poultry is produced by corporations

pretty painful one. The accusations of using child and underpaid
labour were the most visible, but there were many other issues
about the way our business worked, from the way we sourced
materials to the way we designed products, to the way we
transported and sold them. Attacks made us vulnerable. And

You’d better be buff if you’re going

while being vulnerable was uncomfortable, it was also our
greatest gift. It made us ask questions about ourselves. It made
us change how we behaved, how we listened and how we
collaborated. It led to a tidal wave of change that would
revolutionize our business.’
to be naked.
This drive to be more sustainable, to lead the athletics market and to be
the leading sportswear brand in the world is tempered by the pragmatic
need to collaborate to improve our collective future. When asked about
Nike’s direct competition, Hannah says, ‘Nike is on the offense, always.
Our CEO always challenges us to measure our success against our
potential and not against our competitors. And, in any case, we amplify the work of SB&I. Nike Better World, our first consumer-
either win or lose together when it comes to sustainability, so we’re facing message about Nike’s SB&I work, is a good example of this…
intent on working with the rest of the industry to collaborate on [It] is about speaking to consumers about our commitments. To
effecting change… There is a time for competition, but when it thrive in a world where resources are constrained, where people and
comes to sustainability we see no conflict. These issues are far governments and systems are fully connected, where sustainability
bigger than Nike. It will take the entire industry to render this is an imperative, not a choice, and where transparency is requisite,
current model of reliance on natural resources obsolete… If we can we believe we need innovation. Disruptive, radical, jaw-dropping
show that a successful company can also champion sustainability, innovation. That kind of innovation is not going to come only from
it can help bring others in the industry along.’ within. It will require the best of what we’ve got, along with unlikely
partnerships, collaborations and open innovation with Nike’s
Hannah continues, speaking about collaboration and generosity, ‘We consumer base… Nike thinks about how we communicate with the
believe it’s a company’s responsibility to use the influence of its consumer and the dialogue we want to have with them. We think
brand to drive towards a sustainable future. One of the symbols about how our conversation needs to be rooted in authenticity,
and engines of the old economy was patents. Your secrets were and reflect the work that is being done. So we don’t talk about
your own; they were your competitive advantage. We know that advertising for good or green marketing. We’re not interested in
often this isn’t true anymore. Nike believes it is our responsibility proving our green credentials. We’re interested in the conversation
to share as much of our sustainability IP as we can to help fast track and whether it can be a vehicle for change and the building of a
innovation. This is why we created GreenXchange and released 400 movement in its own right.’ A view like this, where a large corporation
of our patents. This is why we released our Apparel Environmental admits its responsibility and wants to inspire change, makes me truly
Design Tool to the industry… A year later we have ten companies believe that together we will be able to overcome our current crisis.
involved, including Google, Best Buy, IDEO and Yahoo. We are
starting to hold “collaboratories” to bring academics, companies, Hannah leaves me with a final thought it would be criminal not to share.
NGOs and individuals together to start leveraging the IP.’ ‘Transparency is the new inevitability. But to quote Don Tapscott,
“You’d better be buff if you’re going to be naked.”’
When it comes to sustainability and advertising for good, Hannah
doesn’t see it as a function of marketing, but as something that
influences a company’s entire structure. Transparency and sustainability
are non-negotiable in this model. ‘It goes beyond collaborating with
the marketing department – Sustainable Business and Innovation
(SB&I) is integrated into every aspect of the business at Nike. And
it goes both ways: our brand marketing team integrates closely to

99
8. GENEROSITY

BCR
Rogalski Grigoriu, Bucharest
MONEY SCHOOL

In Romania after the financial crisis

of 2008, one of the oldest banks in
the country, BCR, created the ‘Money
School’ – an online social media-based
initiative that aimed to teach people
how to save. Through the use of the
‘Super Lion’, an imaginary currency
based on the leu (Romania’s standard
currency which translates as ‘lion’),
consumers were encouraged to
speak to each other and learn how to
handle money properly. Interactive
lessons from ‘The Headmaster’ and
examinations tested the knowledge
of the students, with a young couple
winning the prize for the couple who
saved the most.
The results were incredibly positive,
exceeding BCR’s expectations. 8,711
teams applied to join the programme,
74% more than they were aiming for,
and 80% of those who participated in
the programme felt they learned how
to be more responsible with money
(compared with a goal of 30%).
BCR demonstrated real generosity
and showed that they cared, giving their
customers tangible results they can use
for the rest of their lives.

186
 NORTE BEER
Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi,
Buenos Aires
THE BEST EXCUSE EVER

Norte is the leading beer in the north-

west of Argentina, but they found
they were losing ground to premium
beers being served in bars. They
felt that by giving back to the area
from which they come they could
improve their standing in the eyes
of their consumers.
Built on the insight that women
would rather their partners did
something other than go to a bar,
Norte made going to a bar a good thing.
For each bottle of Norte bought, they
donated one minute of time to doing
good. This gave men a legitimate
excuse to go out to bars with their
friends – they just had to put their
bottle caps in special counters. By the
end of the campaign, just over 50,000
minutes of time had been donated by
Norte. Their teams did things such as
refurbish schools, plant trees and
improve public parks. On top of this,
research carried out after the campaign
found that people saw the personality
r of the brand as, ‘a fun man, who at the
same time is a good, sharing and
responsible person’.

Girlfriends can be proud of their

boyfriends. And the most important
part: boyfriends can go to the bar
with their friends trouble free.
DEL CAMPO NAZCA SAATCHI & SAATCHI

187
Calendar for Good

J A NUA
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DE C t
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NO

t
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MAR
CH
OC TOBE R

t
t

A P RIL
BE R EM
EP T

t
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M
AY

ST
GU t
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JUN
JULY t

246
 DAYS FOR US OCTOBER 15 World Lymphoma Awareness Day Every day people, brands and
1 International Day of Older Persons 21 Alzheimer’s Day organizations fight for causes
FEBRUARY 5 World Teachers’ Day 25 Ataxia Awareness Day they are passionate about.
9 WWF National Sweater Day 15 World Rural Women’s Day 29 World Heart Day
(Canada) 16 UN World Food Day OCTOBER To focus on the great efforts they are
20 World Day of Social Justice 17 International Day for the 1 World Vegetarian Day making and the needy causes they are
21 International Mother Language Day Eradication of Poverty 10 UN World Mental Health Day helping, many have chosen to dedicate
22 World Thinking Day 24 United Nations Day World Sight Day a day or a month of the year to increase
28 National Science Day (India) NOVEMBER 12 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day awareness of their causes.
MARCH 16 International Day for Tolerance 15 World Handwashing Day This is a list of both internationally
8 International Women’s Day 20 Africa Industrialization Day World White Safety Cane Day and nationally recognized days. Some
18 BBC Red Nose Day Universal Children’s Day 20 International Osteoporosis Day were introduced and are supported by
(United Kingdom) 21 World Television Day 22 International Stuttering bodies such as the United Nations and
21 International Day for the Elimination 29 Adbusters Buy Nothing Day Awareness Day others are days created by brands. Most
of Racial Discrimination DECEMBER 24 World Polio Day days are honoured by special drives,
APRIL 2 International Day for the Abolition NOVEMBER initiatives and functions that culminate
10 TOMS One Day Without Shoes of Slavery 1 World Vegan Day on the day of dedication to raise funds,
23 World Book and Copyright Day 9 International Anti Corruption Day 14 World Diabetes Day support and, most importantly, raise
29 International Dance Day 10 Human Rights Day DECEMBER awareness of the cause.
30 No Phone Zone Day (USA) 18 International Migrants Day 1 World AIDS Day However, these days can be used
MAY 3 International Day of Disabled Persons for more than just raising awareness
1 International Labour Day DAYS FOR OUR BODIES around worthy causes – they can also
3 World Press Freedom Day DAYS FOR THE PLANET be used to coincide with, or act as the
7 World AIDS Orphans Day JANUARY pinnacle of, campaigns surrounding
14 World Fair Trade Day 4 World Braille Day FEBRUARY a similar topic, cause or message by
15 International Day of Families 27 World Leprosy Day 2 World Wetlands Day advertising and branding professionals.
21 World Anti-Terrorism Day FEBRUARY MARCH Garnier, for example, launched
World Day for Cultural Diversity 4 World Cancer Day 10 Bottled Water Free Day the World’s First Newspaper on
25 The Royal Society for the 14 Congenital Heart Defect 20 World Sparrow Day 100% recycled newsprint on World
Blind Odd Socks Day (Australia) Awareness Day 21 World Forestry Day Environment Day in partnership with
30 Cell C Take a Girl to Work Day MARCH 22 World Water Day the Times of India, with the intention of
(South Africa) 24 World Tuberculosis Day 23 World Meteorological Day encouraging the Indian youth to become
JUNE APRIL APRIL actively involved in environmental work.
1 International Children’s Day 2 World Autism Awareness Day 1 Fossil Fools Day So what are you waiting for? Plan
2 World Naturist Day 7 World Health Day 10 Arbor Day (USA) your campaign to coincide with existing
4 The United Nations International 11 World Parkinson’s Day 22 Earth Day designated days or claim one of the
Day of Innocent Children Victims 17 World Haemophilia Day MAY many days not yet designated and
of Aggression 25 World Malaria Day 11 World Migratory Bird Day create your own!
16 The International Day of the MAY 22 International Day for Biodiversity
African Child 7 World Asthma Day 23 World Turtle Day
20 World Refugee Day 8 World Red Cross Day and JUNE
21 World Music Day Red Crescent Day 5 World Environment Day
26 International Day against Drug 10 World Lupus Day 8 World Ocean Day
Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 12 International Nurses Day JULY
27 World Diabetes Day International Chronic Fatigue 11 World Population Day
JULY Syndrome Awareness Day SEPTEMBER
6 United Nations International Day 31 World No Tobacco Day 16 World Ozone Day
of Cooperatives JUNE 22 World Car Free Day
18 Mandela Day 14 World Blood Donor Day OCTOBER
AUGUST 19 World Sickle Cell Day 2 World Farm Animal Day
4 International Friendship Day JULY 4 World Animal Welfare Day
12 International Youth Day 3 Wonderbra National Cleavage Day 7 World Habitat Day
19 World Humanitarian Day (South Africa) NOVEMBER
SEPTEMBER 6 World Zoonosis Day 6 International Day for Preventing
8 International Literacy Day 28 World Hepatitis Day the Exploitation of the Environment
15 International Day of Democracy SEPTEMBER in War and Armed Conflict
21 International Day of Peace 9 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome 21 World Fisheries Day
26 World Maritime Day Awareness Day DECEMBER
27 World Tourism Day 10 WHO Suicide Prevention Day 11 International Mountain Day

247
Can advertising be a
force for good? Can
CONTAGIOUSNESS
it bring about positive
social or environmental
COLLABORATION
change? Should it tell the
truth about a brand?
TRANSPARENCY
With today’s consumers
being more informed,
COMPASSION
empowered and ethically
minded than ever, advertising
CONNECTION
needs to do all those things
and more. No longer can an
GENEROSITY
agency simply state that their
client’s brand or product is
SIMPLICITY
good: the advertising has
to communicate that the client
CREATIVITY
is actively being and doing good.
POSITIVITY
Goodvertising showcases
outstanding creative work from
INSIGHT
over 120 campaigns from around
the world, organized into 10
commitment chapters. Each
campaign is from a leading agency
working in the full spectrum of media
channels for an international array of
clients, be they corporations or
charities. For any advertising or
branding professional, this timely and
much-needed book will provide
inspiration and insights, and
proof positive of the power of
advertising for good. Add review
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