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Seventh Generation Advertising

Unilever's Seventh Generation to donate TV ad buy to Global Climate Strike cause

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By Katie Deighton, Senior Reporter

August 27, 2019 | 3 min read

Unilever eco cleaning brand Seventh Generation is readying to hand over its six-figure broadcast ad buy to environmental organization 350.org in the lead up to the Global Climate Strike protests.

Maya Rudolph Seventh Generation

Maya Rudolph is the star of Seventh Generation's ads

From 16-20 September, the entirety of Seventh Generation’s airtime purchase will be donated to 350.org, an environmental organization pushing for the elimination of fossil fuels in energy production.

Agency Futerra has teamed up with director Rankin to create a broadcast commercial that will be played in lieu of Seventh Generation’s regular TV spots over the five days ahead of the worldwide protests, dubbed Climate Week.

Meanwhile, the brand will halt all product messaging and marketing on its social and digital channels in the same time period ahead of the strike. Instead, it will use its platforms to highlight "leaders from within the youth climate movement", according to a company spokesperson.

Staff at the company’s office in Burlington, Vermont will also be encouraged to join their local march on 20 September.

The days of action, led by youth activist Greta Thunberg, anticipate “millions of citizens” walking out of their workplaces to join the demands of young climate strikers calling for an end to global fossil fuel usage.

Leaders of 350.org are encouraging other brands to donate their airtime in the days before and during the strikes in a similar fashion to Seventh Generation. The CPG brand is already well known for its environmental focus, having reformulated its products so they require less energy to ship, and lobbied for cities to move to renewable electricity.

Joey Bergstein, the chief executive of Seventh Generation, said he felt there was immediately “no greater duty” for the company than spreading the message of Climate Week.

“We hope that other businesses do the same,” he said in a statement. “If we want to ensure we have an inhabitable planet for future generations, then the time to act on climate is now. May the rising tide of voices push our elected officials to help create the change we need to reverse the effects of climate change before it’s too late.”

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, 350.org’s North America director, added: “The willingness of businesses to disrupt the norm is a critical part of the urgent work to make change.

"We are proud to be working with Seventh Generation to amplify the global climate strikes and to support young people working hand in hand with adults to demand their right to prosperous and sustainable futures.”

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