By Lucy Barrett, Marketing, 02 October 2007, 08:30am

'False' green ad complaints rise

LONDON - The surge in green marketing spend has been mirrored by the number of consumers complaining about untrue environmental claims.

Last month, the Advertising Standards Authority received 93 complaints about 40 ads making green assertions. For the same month last year, it received 10 complaints about eight ads.

The number of grievances about environmental claims over the past 16 months has averaged 33 a month, but since June it has leapt to an average of 56 a month.

Green claims are becoming more prevalent in ads, from carbon-offsetting targets by energy providers to improved pollution figures from car manufacturers.

An ASA spokeswoman said: 'If advertisers make green claims, we will want evidence that they are true.' The ASA recently set out guidelines for what is acceptable.

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All Comments

Peter Martin - 02 October 2007

I cannot for the life of me understand why it gets done or what is in the heads of those who think they can get away with it.

Do they not realise that by creating a near automatic aura of doubt on anything conveying a green message by such actions, far from leading us (the public, authorities and commercial world) towards a mutually rewarding era of environmentally (and financially) rewarding relationships, these cynical efforts are simply making it more difficult and stealing time that is already precious to effect changes in public behaviour?

There are clear guidelines out there, but a weekly read of the ASA adjudications makes depressing reading as to the motives and/or competence of those involved.

I'm not big on negativity, but I'm seriously thinking of creating a 'wall of sLime' on Junkk.com where these examples get hung up for all to see, along with the names of those involved in their creation.