EDF green ad avoids ASA censure
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An EDF advertisement for its Green Britain Day initiative that attracted almost 150 complaints has been cleared by the advertising watchdog.
The television, press and poster campaign, which ran up to July, became one of the most complained about this year after 149 people contacted the Advertising Standards Authority to say it was misleading.
The adverts featured a Union flag made up of different shades of green fabric, rather than the usual red, white and blue. The text and voiceover said that EDF was a sustainability partner of the 2012 Olympics in London and was launching a “Green Britain Day” to help fight climate change.
Complainants to the ASA argued that because EDF was a French-owned energy company that used non-renewable energy sources it could not claim to be either British or green.
EDF told the ASA that it had taken a lead role in tackling the social and environmental problems it faces as an energy supplier and that it hadbecome the first company in the UK to be named as a sustainability partner for London 2012.
It also pointed out that the ads promoted awareness of Green Britain Day and did not make claims about the EDF brand. EDF acknowledged that its parent company is based in France, but said the UK division is based and registered in this country.
The ASA ruled that the ads did not claim that EDF itself was a “green” company or even British, and therefore were not misleading.
Readers' comments (2)
Robin Smith | Wed, 28 Oct 2009 9:29 am
This is utter greenwash. The Green Union Jack, the symbol used to promote British Renewable Energy Co Ecotricity and emblazoned across its vans, website and promoted in press advertising, was hi-jacked by EDF to represent Green Britain. Their campaign focussed on Green Britain day, which is clearly intended to lure consumers into believing that EDF has green issues and Britain at its heart. Which it doesn't. Questions need to be asked about the integrity of the ASA which is starting to look like the FSA before the credit crunch. Consumers need to be protected from corporate propaganda. It is dangerous to deceive people into believing that a company is part of a solution when in fact it is part of the problem. EDF is a coal importing, nuclear building, target missing, corporate giant that puts extraordinary pressures on government to bend its way. It is neither Green nor British. The Green Union Jack clearly implies that t is.
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Anonymous | Tue, 3 Nov 2009 6:35 pm
Every company, and each and every one of us as individuals, is both part of the problem and part of the solution. Time for us as environmentalists and marketers to stop pointing fingers and start working together to find creative and engaging ways of making "green" part of everyone's everyday lives. Yes, greenwashing is bad. But scaring off big brands from ever doing, saying or learning anything green for fear of being accused of greenwashing is, I would argue, just as damaging. EDF's campaign was not perfect--few campaigns are, green or not--but it was a brave first step.
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