1,000 Creative Agencies Pledge to Divest from Fossil Fuel Industry in Major Milestone for Clean Creatives Campaign
The Clean Creatives fossil fuel divestment pledge count doubles in the last year, and celebrates with a satirical video subverting a famous advertising trope
Video and imagery download: Jumpshare
Youtube video link: https://youtu.be/Q7Q12ZiUzJ4
Austin, Texas – Clean Creatives, the anti-fossil fuel campaign group for the Advertising and PR Industry, celebrates a milestone of 1,000 agencies worldwide who have signed their pledge to refuse work from the fossil fuel industry this Earth Day.
In the last three years, Clean Creatives has significantly raised awareness of Big Oil's attempt to influence public perception of itself and its product by engaging the largest advertising and PR agencies to misinform and greenwash.
Alongside education campaigns, Clean Creatives has a pledge that agencies and individuals can sign as a commitment to refuse to work with fossil fuel polluters. Now at the 1,000 agency mark – a doubling of pledges since April 2023, it showcases the campaign's momentum and points to a rapidly rising concern within the creative industries about responsible work in light of global warming. The world’s six largest advertising and public relations companies—Omnicom Group, WPP, Interpublic Group (IPG), Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, and Havas—have ties to the fossil fuel industry.
Significant agency pledges have recently been received from AdAge's 2020 and 2022 International Agency of the Year Mother New York and Lucky Generals, which have been shortlisted for Campaign's Agency of the Year for the last five years running. They join large agencies, Allison, with over 1,000 employees across more than 50 markets, and GALE, with a global workforce of over 750.
To celebrate the 1,000 agency milestone, Clean Creatives has produced a satirically playful video aimed at the industry. In it, a Rube Goldberg machine – an iconic contraption famous for its use in Honda's The Cog advertisement – features alongside other references to key ad concepts and cliches. The spot ends in a dumpster fire extinguished by a Clean Creative and calls on ad execs to ditch old ideas and embrace being "the good guys" in the fight against climate change.
Of the 1,000 agencies to have signed the Clean Creatives pledge, the United States tops the list of agency HQ locations (350), with the United Kingdom following (265). Canada is third (65), with South Africa (57), Germany (43), Australia (36), Netherlands (30), and Sweden (20) following.
The types of agencies populating the 1,000 ranks are design (223), creative (201), branding (197), and public relations (183). A combination of digital, strategy, production, web development, consulting agencies, and more completes the list. 138 of the 1,000 agencies are B Corp certified.
The full list of agency signers is available at cleancreatives.org/agency-signers.
Clean Creatives also surveyed 95 of the 1000 pledged agencies about the reasons for signing and its impact on their business.
When asked, the top reason agencies listed for signing the pledge was “Alignment with values and mission”, followed by “Positive impact on the climate.”
The top positive impact of the pledge on their business was an improvement in employee recruitment and retention. As one agency CEO described, “It gives [our employees] confidence in our intent and purpose, and this is hugely important to them.”
37% of agencies stated the Clean Creatives pledge positively impacted relationships with existing clients, with no agency reporting any negativity.
“We’re incredibly proud to stand with 1,000 agencies of all sizes and disciplines worldwide refusing to work with the fossil fuel industry. The Clean Creatives pledge has galvanized a global community of agencies committed to serious climate action, and they are seeing countless benefits in employee engagement, positioning for clients, and alignment for purpose. We’re grateful to every agency that has stepped up to lead on this issue. They are showing the importance of leadership, and I think we can look forward to many more joining them.” Duncan Meisel, Executive Director, Clean Creatives
Supporting quotes from agencies worldwide can be seen below.
The Clean Creatives campaign publishes annual F-List reports to reveal current contracts between fossil fuel companies and agencies, challenges large agencies such as Edelman and Havas over its operations and calls for more rigorous regulation and accreditation standards from sustainability organizations like Ad Net Zero.
Clean Creatives will premiere its next F-List Awards—a satirical awards show recognizing the best of fossil fuel industry greenwash featuring a group of ad industry creatives, comedic creatives and climate leaders — on May 08, 2024. It will be hosted by WGA Award-winning comedian and writer Nicole Conlan, who currently writes for The Daily Show and previously for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
To learn more about the Clean Creatives pledge or to sign it, visit cleancreatives.org.
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Supporting Quotes
Large Agencies
Mother New York
“Mother exists to make our children proud. We believe in creativity’s ability to positively impact the world, which made signing the Clean Creatives pledge the easiest choice we’ve ever made. For everyone who works at Mother and every brand that works with Mother, the Clean Creatives pledge is a badge of honor – it’s a symbol of shared values and a commitment to wield our creativity for good. We’re proud to be a part of it.” Hannah Tabor, Strategy Director, Mother New York
GALE
“We’re excited to celebrate this milestone with Clean Creatives as they continue to push the industry forward, prioritizing a sustainable future. Since we became the largest agency to sign the pledge back in 2023, we’ve seen its value in attracting like-minded clients and talent, serving as a clear proof point of GALE’s commitment to sustainability and leadership in this space.” Brad Simms, CEO, GALE
Lucky Generals
"We describe Lucky Generals as a creative company for people on a mission. And what mission could be more crucial than that of Clean Creatives: a global movement of strategists, creatives, and industry leaders dedicated to fighting for a cleaner future. We are proud to have signed up to their agency pledge to not work with fossil-fuel clients. Since joining this global community, we have partnered and hosted their first UK event in 2024, marking a significant step in our ongoing commitment to climate action and the pursuit of a greener future. We look forward to continuing this journey, and all that lies ahead." Lameya Chaudhury, Head of Social Impact, Lucky Generals
Asia
Vero
"Taking the Clean Creative pledge was a simple yet radical decision to do the right thing," said Vero Chief Operating Officer Raphael Lachkar, noting that Vero was the first PR agency in Asia to formally pledge to never work for fossil fuel companies and their front groups. "We know that any support for the fossil fuel industry is harmful to our planet and our future. The clean creative movement will keep growing, especially when progressive, industry-leading clients start to penalize PR agencies for the work they do for fossil fuel brands. Thanks to Clean Creatives, we all can now access lists of PR agencies that are greenwashing for the fossil fuel industry. Client leaders can and should start to encourage more PR agencies to foreswear work for fossil fuel companies. The PR industry needs more agencies to stop greenwashing for fossil fuel brands. At Vero, we recognize we need to do more work on our own sustainability journey. However, we are proud of our decision and to say that we want to be part of the solution, not a part of the problem. Upholding the Clean Creative Pledge keeps us on this path." Raphael Lachkar, Chief Operating Officer, ASEAN, Vero
Milk+Honey
“Milk & Honey has, from day one since 2017, been about using communications as a force for good. That’s why we were one of the early signatories of the Clean Creatives Pledge as well as a B Corp pioneer, currently with an impact score of 154.2, the highest in our industry worldwide. We take these initiatives very seriously; they are part of our corporate DNA across all our offices in the UK, US, Germany and Singapore.
At Milk & Honey, we wear these badges proudly and loudly; believing that where the agency leads, others will follow. We strive hard to be a business benchmark for the environment, social good, sustainability, as well as diversity and inclusion. My colleagues and I truly believe that all businesses, now and in the future, need to balance profitability and be ethically led. Only by adhering to initiatives like the Clean Creatives Pledge and guidelines like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals will we have a chance of making our planet a better place for the next generation.” Meilin Wong, Partner & CEO Singapore, Milk+Honey
Latin America
Done!
“Once we became certified as a B Corporation, adopting the Clean Creatives Pledge came naturally. Even though it wasn't required, it was a no-brainer for us in light of our formal commitment to make better business, for people and the planet. After all, what's the point of publishing a beautiful purpose if it's supported by money from the root cause of the planet's problems today? Because we all know that if we are to stay within the 1.5C that will allow our children to grow up on a safe and habitable planet, the energy transition is urgent and necessary. And so far, the only thing our industry has done is to delay it. And this is what we seek to change by joining Clean Creatives.” Marian Ventura, CEO, done!
Africa
DNA Brand Architects, South Africa
“This incredible industry of ideas has more people who care not only about their work but also share a deep love for its impact on our planet. With the climate crisis escalating, our role as the advertising and PR industry can become a game-changing intervention.
In embracing this cause, our company's purpose has grown deeper, honing in on leveraging our extraordinary creative talents for the greater good. We have had to say no to work we don’t believe in, but we are better off for it and proud of it. It's imperative that we apply our strongest asset—our creativity—to address the global challenges before us.” Sylvester Chauke, Founder and Chief Architect, DNA Brand Architects
About Clean Creatives
Clean Creatives is an award-winning campaign group calling for an advertising and PR industry-wide movement where creatives and companies pledge to refuse future work with fossil fuel corporations. To date, over 1,000 agencies and 2,000 individuals worldwide have signed the Clean Creatives pledge, including Allison, with over 1,000 employees across more than 50 markets; GALE, with a global workforce of over 750; and Top 150 UK-ranked Hope&Glory. Recent agencies to have signed the pledge include AdAge's 2020 and 2022 International Agency of the Year Mother New York and Lucky Generals who have been shortlisted for Campaign's Agency of the Year for the last five years running.
In addition to the campaign's success and support from many industry leaders, Executive Director Duncan Meisel has been recognized as Adweek's 2023 Sustainability Honoree and secured a spot on PRovoke's Innovator 25 North America list in 2022. The campaign regularly releases reports with bespoke data on fossil fuel contracts globally, including the F-List, which identifies agencies engaged with oil and gas companies.
Clean Creatives Website: cleancreatives.org
Clean Creatives Twitter: @CleanCreatives
Clean Creatives Instagram: @clean_creatives
Film Credits
Brand/Client: Clean Creatives
Executive Director: Duncan Meisel
Creative Strategist: Joe Cole
Social Media Director: Ellie Rountree
Head of Community Organizing: Laura Comer
BTS/Stills: Shadi Perez
Executive Producer: Jonathan Hsu
Junior Producer: Peter Mamontoff
Director: Sami Kriegstein
Strategy Lead: Mike Jacobson, Creative Yam
DP: Noah Fowler
1st AC: Kerri McConnell
Gaffer: Wayne Mcelroy
Grip: Alvin Adadevoh
Sound Engineer: Anthony Thompson
Stills: Nathan Podshadley
Location: Windmill Studios
JFMX Fire Specialist: Jeff Moratti
JFMX Fire Specialist: George Fernandez
PA: Mariana Otalora
Gorilla Suit: Walker Morgan