You may have already noticed on billboards, newspapers, magazines and screens across the land that along with the amazing 2012 Olympics edging closer and closer we also now have the pleasure of bathing in the outstanding magnificence that is BP’s new olympics focused advertising campaign.*
London 2012. Fuelling the Future. Among other things they seems to have committed themselves to, and I quote ‘supporting the cultural olympiad to bring the arts to many more people..’ now call me cynical but that reeks of good old fashion greenwashing just like Chevron used to make it. But, what do you think?
*sarcasm included.
For a thorough deconstruction of BP’s new advertising campaign and how it is (ab)using arts/culture and sports for the benefit of greenwashing its own name, take a look at Jo Abbess’s blog here.
Here’s something else we found from the Financial Times online where they seem to rate the success of the new advertising campaign giving it 3/5, also pointing out the obvious:
Although the tone is low-key, the messages in the ads are largely loud
and green. Some of them state that BP intends to offset the carbon
footprint of millions of spectators’ journeys as well of those of
British athletes.
The campaign strapline “Fuelling the future” is a reference to BP’s
efforts in renewable energy. Images of British athletes, including
heptathlete Jessica Ennis and Paralympic runner Richard Whitehead, are
framed by the company’s green-tinged logo, while one of the poster ads
features an athlete running through a field of crops that are used to
produce biofuels.
It is a skilful choice of sponsorship. However, the ad featuring Ennis
has her running along an immaculate beach, which seems unwise given how
that image might resonate in the wake of the damage caused by last
year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
(source: http://www.ft.com)
Liberate Tate 