A Greenpeace activist and former Cannes Lions winner interrupted Cannes’ opening ceremony last night to call out ad agencies for working with the fossil fuel industry and being complicit in spreading disinformation around the climate and promoting their polluting products.
Greenpeace activist and former Cannes Lions winner for his work with cars and airlines, Gustav Martner (pictured below), took the stage and unfolded a banner that read “No awards on a dead planet, Ban Fossil Ads!”
The protest follows news today that Australia’s own leading industry bodies Advertising Council Australia (ACA), the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) have today announced their commitment to supporting Ad Net Zero in Australia – a global initiative to drive advertising’s response to the climate crisis.
Martner was quoted on Greenpeace’s website as having said: “As a former head of a creative agency, I know the power of advertising and sponsorship in mobilising people or distracting them from crucial issues. My job was to use my ideas to help polluters sell products that are killing the planet and the people. For too long, ad agencies have escaped their responsibilities towards the climate crisis, now they must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry. Cannes Lions claims to be the ‘Home of creativity’, I’m here to say there’s no creativity on a dead planet.”
Since the Paris Agreement at least 300 awards have been given out in Cannes to advertising for more air travel, to oil companies that greenwash and to ads that make cars with polluting combustion engines more desirable.
PR and advertising holdings and agencies present in this event and have recently announced they will commit to achieving ‘carbon neutrality’ (net zero) and internal sustainability policies. However, all these firms continue to work for the fossil fuel industry helping them promote their image and the alleged environmental virtues of oil and fossil gas and, as a result, block the rapid climate action required.
Silvia Pastorelli, EU climate and energy campaigner and lead organiser of the ECI commented: “Just like tobacco companies, the fossil fuel industry makes profit on the back of people’s suffering. With it, they buy unique access to media via advertisements that shape narratives to keep us hooked on oil. But even in the face of appalling environmental consequences, wars and neo-colonialism, advertising agencies choose to keep colluding with climate criminals. As a result, the whole advertising industry is tinged with environmental crimes that can be stopped with bold action, like a ban of fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship in the EU.”
