Earth Day is back and this year advertisers are rallying to create more inspiring ads that bring some critical action. Taking action is an important part of an effective Earth Day campaign, as it is for any purpose-based set of ads.
Inevitably, some advertisers miss the mark with their eco-advertising, creating ads with good messaging but little substance. However, others show up, putting in the work to build a better future for our planet. These advertisers use Earth Day as an opportunity to highlight initiatives and promote meaningful action within their companies and the wider community.
Actions are louder words
While strong copy is important, it is not as important as taking meaningful action. When creating purpose-based campaigns (like for Earth Day) brands need to prioritize impact and change over ad creatives.
Without action these campaigns will fall flat – no matter how creative, colorful, or memorable they may seem.
Our favorite four Earth Day campaigns from the 2020s so far
These are some of the best ad campaigns from the past few years.
Apple – Mother Nature (2030 status)
Apple promises to make each of its products carbon-neutral by 2023. In this ad, the company uses celebrities to spread its message and update its customers on the status of its 2030 goal. This ad is great because it leverages entertainment to share meaningful work that has a long-term impact on the brand and the planet.
Budweiser – Earth Day 2021
Budweiser took the opportunity to share its work on sustainability with its current and potential customers. Since 2016 the company has brewed over 13 billion of its beers with 100% renewable electricity and aims to do so for its entire supply by 2025. This makes a fantastic campaign because it shows meaningful action at work and demonstrates a plan to continue to improve environmental impact.
Lenovo – Innovating for a Smarter Future
In this campaign, Lenovo asks: what happens to our old devices? Many tech companies continually release new products, with greater innovations and better interfaces. But that means old tech is cast by the wayside – creating literal tons of waste every year. Lenovo is working towards a solution by creating a more cyclical development process. By the time this ad was released in 2022, the brand had already integrated more than 9 million kilograms of recycled electronics into its new products.
YouTube – Non-funigble Planet
YouTube says “There’s nothing more valuable in the world than the world itself” and works to prove it in this ad for Earth Day 2022. This piece focuses on education, sharing YouTube channels that feature credible, informative, and entertaining videos about our planet and the environment. The ad also cleverly plays off of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) which had become increasingly popular when it was released – grabbing attention and using humor to push the message further.
The most effective and impactful Earth Day campaigns highlight the important work done by brands behind the scenes. They aren’t about a green sticker or a new, clever catchphrase. Most brands recognize that we are past the point of raising awareness.
The brands that latch onto success with their environmental initiatives, like those above, do the work to build a better earth. They’re doing the hard part of building environmentally sustainable practices into their business and using Earth Day as an effective time to share those initiatives with their audience.
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