A new report by Clean Creatives, an initiative launched by creative professionals to fight climate change, has exposed nearly 300 advertising, PR, and marketing agencies that continue to work with major fossil fuel companies.
The "F-List", released this week, is the latest effort by Clean Creatives to pressure agencies to drop clients in the oil, gas, and coal industries. It comes on the heels of a UN report earlier this year warning that fossil fuel advertising and PR must end to avoid climate catastrophe.
Clean Creatives was founded in 2019 by climate activists Duncan Meisel and Dorreen Wang as a way for creatives to leverage their power and stop promoting misinformation on behalf of polluters. Since launching, over 1000 individuals and dozens of agencies have taken the Clean Creatives pledge to not work with fossil fuel clients.
This year's F-List identifies 294 agencies actively working with the likes of ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and Saudi Aramco. It reveals that WPP has the most fossil fuel clients (55), followed by Omnicom (39) and Interpublic Group (29). Independent agencies on the list range from PR firms like Edelman to creative agencies like M&C Saatchi.
Creatives against Greenwashing
The F-List also includes examples of greenwashing campaigns run by agencies on behalf of TotalEnergies and Shell. It highlights how oil companies are increasingly using social media influencers to improve their image and market their products to younger generations.
"With increasing pressure on agencies and PR firms to decline fossil fuel contracts, it's bad business to be pitching for Shell, and the industry knows it," the report states.
Clean Creatives is calling on all agencies named in the F-List to re-evaluate their client rosters and make clear commitments to drop fossil fuel companies that are actively expanding oil, gas, and coal production. They urge creatives to use their voice and take action to avoid promoting misinformation or greenwashing.
With the climate crisis worsening, Clean Creatives aims to mobilize the creative industry to use its power for good instead of promoting the interests of polluters. The F-List sheds light on the work still left to be done.
