Can advertising be a force for good?
List your top 10 ethical industries and I’ll bet that advertising didn’t even enter your thoughts once. Navel-gazing and back slapping, sure. Ethical? Hmmm..
It’s not that advertising is inherently unethical, it just has a reputation. And one that is not entirely unjustified.
From Martin Sorrell’s recent (alleged) trouser malfunctions, to the well-documented debauchery of the 70s and 80s through to the tsunami of digital advertising fraud happening under our noses right now, the industry, somewhat ironically, has an image problem.
It was World Advertising Day this past Saturday, and as some of you are well aware, the south of France last week played host to Cannes Lions. The event is ostensibly a celebration of creativity in marketing and advertising but has at times come to embody the bloated and shallow reputation of the industry as a whole.
Beneath the glitzy facade, the bottomless rose and the yacht parties, however, something looks to be afoot.
Two years ago, the CEOs of the big five agencies (WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, Interpublic, Havas) took to the stage to announce an agreement with the United Nations to see how the industry could help contribute to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This felt like a step in the right direction for an industry whose ethical compass has sometimes needed a tap or two to find North.
Two years later and Cannes has a brand new category — Good — its aim: ‘going beyond brand purpose to use branded communications to shift culture, create change and positively impact the world.’
What on the shortlist caught our eye?
IM Swedish Development Partner — Humanium Metal Initiative
Much like The Plastic Bank, The Humanium Metal Initiative takes a global problem and turns it into a global positive, and a great business. Over 500,000 worldwide are killed by firearms each year. Humanium Metal is a new material made of recycled metal from gun destruction programs. The metal is melted and moulded into units, which are then made available for commercial production.
Getty Images — Repicturing Homelessness
Stock photography giant Getty Images teamed up with German magazine fiftyfifty — a magazine distributed by the homeless of Germany — to ‘repicture’ homelessness. They recruited and restyled 16 homeless people to become stock photography models and in the process used images to challenge perceptions. Great campaign.
Jigsaw — ‘Heart Immigration’
Wilfully divisive in a post-Brexit Britain, clothes manufacturer Jigsaw celebrated the diversity and positive impact of immigration on their business and the planet. Brands can often come across as inauthentic with these kinds of campaigns but Jigsaw has laid the foundations as a brand that will challenge the status quo with their values of ‘Style and Truth.’ The effect of the campaign? Double-digit growth and more than 30 new points of sale in a difficult market.
Women’s Equality Party — I’m Out of Office for Equal Pay
Equal Pay Day marks the day of the year that women effectively stop getting paid compared to their male counterparts. The Women’s Equality Party drew up an out-of-office template for women around the world to raise awareness of the issue.
Apple — Earth Shot on iPhone
And finally, a love letter to the planet from the world’s biggest company. Ostensibly an advert for the iPhone camera, the gorgeous images of our planet are underpinned by the measured tones of physicist Carl Sagan. A stunning campaign, but do Apple walk the walk? They’re certainly not without critics, but its 2018 Environmental Responsibility Report certainly makes the right noises.
P.S. Know someone who wants to do business ethically? Why not give them the heads up, and encourage them to sign up for our weekly Firm Ethics email?
