ASA rules foul on ‘eco-friendly’

ADVERTISING GREEN MARKETING GREENWASH SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

ADVERTISING, GREEN MARKETING, GREENWASH, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS ASA rules foul on ‘eco-friendly’

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mmWritten by:15 February 2012

The Feb 2012 ASA decision against CRC clarifies ‘environmentally friendly’ can only be used in NZ relating to whole of life-cycle – product and packaging.

CRC’s promotion of ADOS Greenstik glues was found in breach of the Advertising Standards code because it contravenes Basic Principle 1, that generalised claims can only be made in relation to whole lifecycle – product and packaging – and thus absolute claims are not appropriate.

This means you can’t claim a product or service is ‘eco-friendly’ if it’s only a BIT eco-friendlier than it used to be. The ASA Board ruled ADOS were in breach after an appeal.

 

About the Author /

mm
Kath Dewar (FCIM) is the inspiring thought-leader who founded GoodSense. A marketer with over 30 years’ experience and a business-owner since 2001, Kath is shaping marketing into a profession that serves society and nature, as well as an organisation’s stakeholders. Kath is a Fellow of the UK-based Chartered Institute of Marketing and an award-winning international marketer. She is also the founder and course director of the world’s first online, professional training course in Sustainable Marketing. Read more >

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