2018 has seen an explosion of brands asserting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) following growing public concerns about environmental sustainability. And I have no doubt in my mind that the BBC’s Blue Planet II was the driving force. It seemed as though the global sense of inertia was finally lifted following David Attenborough’s exposé of the devastating effects that plastic pollution is having on our oceans. In a powerful and emotive final episode, Attenborough’s parting words were:
‘We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about it. Surely we have a responsibility to care for our blue planet. The future of humanity, and indeed all life on earth, now depends on us.’ Whether the chilling ultimatum or the realisation that there is still time, the penny appeared to finally drop, and more than ever before people are now taking responsibility for their actions. In a need to keep up with the times, brands have followed suit, and companies worldwide are waging war on plastic. Morrisons are the latest to engage with this as they
have reintroduced brown paper bags made from recycled paper. This very simple step will save a staggering 150 million plastic bags every year, the company claims. They are also incentivising customers to bring in their own containers for meat and fish, offering an appetising 100 loyalty points to those who do. Similarly, Adidas, one of the world’s biggest and most fashionable brands, recently launched a collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. The campaign promoted the UltraBoost Parley shoe, which is made from ocean plastic. The partnership also worked to promote ‘Run for the Oceans’, running events where people could come together to show their commitment to the oceans as they raised money and most importantly, awareness. The campaign was slick and remained true to the Adidas brand, as they used their platform to encourage a change in ideology that recycling and environmental responsibility is for everyone, not just ‘eco-warriors’. However, it has become apparent that some brands merely exploit CSR as nothing more than a marketing tool to generate sales. So let’s take a look at some of the good, the bad and the damn right ugly displays of brand purpose that have come to fruition over the last few months…
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