Why is all our activist media coming from Pepsi, AirBnB and Unilever?

What the fuck is happening?

My mate Guy Markham tells me

companies used to sell shit with sex. Now it’s activism.

Before I share the question this evoked in me

here’s a few examples:

The new fucking weird Pepsi ad. I kinda like the tune and it’s full of hot people and smiley fun stuff and ethnic minorities so I guess it’s cool.

I can’t lie. I love this. At least it’s member owned.

Arse. I kinda love this one too.. it feels like some people who genuinely give a shit about the plight of refugees and migrants had a creative role to play in this and were actually trying to make a meaningful statement.

Imagine just literally trimming the logo off the end of this. Suddenly you have a beautiful, inspiring short film. Only it would have no budget.

So here’s my question:

Is it possible for companies to be activists?

…or to play an authentic, meaningful role in activism (including media that they create)?

Certainly I believe some companies are completely and utterly morally bankrupt; mindless machines that employ an army of humans to work like drones, pressing buttons and pulling levers — the sum lesser than the parts.

When they use activism to sell a product or service, I smell bullshit and I feel like it undermines the authenticity of genuine messages out there.

On the other hand, I feel there are some companies that were founded by visionaries; passionate about the potential for business to be a force for good — sure, they may think that the only businesses that will survive a long time are ones which ‘feel’ relevant, inspiring, meaningful to customers & stakeholders, but still, their motivation to drive authentic messages of embracing diversity, opening minds and hearts, or even taking potentially controversial stances on social/ political issues, knowing some viewers may not be so liberal (for example) can be brave and genuine.

I just wonder how we can tell the authentic media from the copycat media, created by very smart brands who can pay huge salaries to people who understand what’s trending, what inspires the masses (or at least the brand’s primary customer base) and how to speak your language.
In order to (ultimately) sell you more stuff.

I don’t want to get trapped or fall for disingenuous bullshit advertising, but I do want to recognise when a brand has something authentic to say about an issue, because I think that is possible.

I also don’t want those smaller, independent or otherwise more authentic brands to get mistaken by people for just another Pepsi ad.

Finally, is it possible for a brand with a morally bankrupt (profit only) agenda to turn around? Is that even theoretically possible? Could Coca Cola (totally theoretically) ever start to preach genuine messages of acceptance, diversity, justice and equality with authenticity — and practice what they preach?

Maybe that’s what it comes down to; us learning how to see past the preaching, to the practice — do these brands behave in a way that matches their media messages? How best can we tell the difference?