1. The Brussels public transport network (STIB) stops the broadcast of a SHEIN brand advertisement after numerous complaints

At the beginning of 2022, the company SHEIN (Chinese ultra-fashion brand) broadcast an advertising campaign in collaboration with JCDecaux on STIB public transport in Brussels. The photo of a tram with the ad in question was shared on social networks by content creators (in particular @goodmorninglau) and was strongly criticized by the various communities. So much so that STIB decided”To take measures to stop the advertising from being broadcast”. A situation that proves the desire of more and more people to fight against marketing promoting brands that are harmful to our planet and our society.

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2. The IPCC report makes its appearance in Paris metro stations

The student collective For an ecological alarm clock succeeded in convincing RATP (public transport in Paris) and its advertising agency, Médiatransport, to broadcast a poster on the IPCC report. In 108 stations of the Paris metro. With a QR code inviting you to consult a summary of this 10-point report. Proof that advertising can also be used wisely to raise awareness about climate and social issues as many people as possible. The campaign went viral on social media.

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3. BackMarket integrates a message of sobriety into its advertising campaign in Belgium

We are very proud. In September, we worked with BackMarket to deploy their advertising campaign in Belgium, highlighting their offers for their refurbished smartphones. It is in view of the positive impact of Back Market and the reconditioning of electronic devices that we agreed to participate in this campaign. However, our ethics committee proposed to Back Market to add a message of sobriety to its campaign. So that in addition to promoting refurbished products, this campaign also raises awareness about sobriety in the purchase of smartphones. A proposal accepted by the brand and which therefore made it possible to convey two messages in a single spot:”Upgrade to refurbished, but only if you need to buy”.

4. France bans advertising on fossil fuels (imperfectly but still)

Since August 22, 2022, it is no longer allowed to advertise fossil fuels in France. Like the Evin law, which has banned tobacco advertising since 1993 in France, this decree aims to reduce the visibility of polluting energies. You will therefore no longer see the staging of petroleum products, the valuation of gas pump prices, etc... However, this decree will not go far. For example, it is not extended to sectors where the use of these energies is part of their economic models. It is therefore always possible to advertise air transport, for gas-powered cars or for boat trips. However, this decree is a first step towards the transition in advertising.

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5. Our complaint for greenwashing against a Lufthansa ad went viral and was relayed by the press. Above all, the ad had to be removed.

One of our big victories of this year 2022. Two Lufthansa advertisements displayed in Brussels train stations (of the poster therefore) were identified by Maxime de GiveActions as misleading for the consumer. They did not respect ethical rules. A complaint was therefore filed. The advertising ethics panel considered the complaint well-founded and asked to remove the ads from advertising posters in Belgium. Ensued A post on LinkedIn with 2596 likes, 392 comments, 66 republications and more than 330k views, but also relays in the Belgian press... and even as far as Switzerland! Beyond the fact that this Lufthansa campaign had to be withdrawn (which is already a superb victory), we are happy that this complaint has led to general awareness and awareness about advertising. We then noticed that more and more people no longer hesitate to file a complaint with the advertising ethics panel (France) or the advertising ethics panel (Belgium) against advertising deemed misleading. Advertising plays an important role in raising awareness and raising awareness among the population. It has a considerable influence. It must therefore also be remodelled to meet the environmental and social challenges of our time.

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2022 has had its share of victories, but let's be honest, there were also a lot of defeats. Let's make 2023 a year where ecological and social issues are at the heart of our society and therefore of advertising!
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Sources:
- Main image of the article: Brand advertising campaign”Murphy“
- Prohibition of advertising for fossil fuels in France:
‍https://reporterre.net/BV-Interdiction-pub-energies-fossiles
https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/energie/fin-des-publicites-pour-les-energies-fossiles-ce-lundi-ou-presque-3303963c-21f5-11ed-a185-6588d059195b