Climate Influencers Call to End 'Fancy Ads' for ExxonMobil

As world leaders continue negotiations over how the global economy will respond to climate change, members of the creator economy are waging a war of their own. An open letter released today by Slow Factory and Clean Creatives has been signed by more than 100 influencers, celebrities, activists and experts, calling on the world's biggest public relations firm, Edelman, to cut ties with a major fossil fuel client: ExxonMobil. Many of the climate-focused creators who helped organize, write and recruit signatories for the letter have worked with Edelman to connect with brands on sustainability campaigns. Only later did they learn that the PR firm also had close ties to the fossil fuel industry—and now they're asking for change. Leaning on social clout "Edelman's fancy ads are giving ExxonMobil social license to operate, and thereby to destroy our climate," activist and biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson told Adweek. "With this campaign, culture makers are using their own social clout to call this out." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Clean Creatives (@clean_creatives) Johnson, who has 108,000 followers on Instagram, is one of many activists with large social media platforms who signed the letter. Writer and sustainable fashion expert Aja Barber also signed, as well as journalist and historian Maytha Alhassen and activist and author Naomi Klein. Others include celebrities who've been outspoken about climate change such as comedian Ilana Glazer, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, actor Sophia Bush and author Meena Harris. Competing alliances The catalyst for the letter came when activists working with Edelman on a Tazo Tea campaign in September around climate justice learned of the PR firm's simultaneous work with ExxonMobil. Slow Factory, a non-profit organization that acts as a climate school and a lab for new materials, partnered with Tazo to promote its Open Edu courses during Climate Week. Now, it's one of the main signatories of the open letter to Edelman. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TAZO (@tazo) "As a society, we must fundamentally transform every aspect of our global systems to avoid climate catastrophe, and pushing our energy sector to find other solutions is key," said Colin Vernon, founder and chief innovation officer at Slow Factory. He also confirmed that Slow Factory raised its concerns related to Edelman's work with Exxon directly. However, Vernon said the Edelman team was "unable to provide any comment or commitment from leadership." The new letter is the latest move by Clean Creatives in its campaign to persuade ad agencies and PR firms to stop working with fossil fuels. Turning Agencies Against Fossil Fuel Brands Harkens Back to the Tobacco Wars "We think the first step to addressing this problem is being honest about who's participating in it," Clean Creatives director Duncan Meisel told Adweek in September. 'There's no grey area' Since its launch in 2020, Clean Creatives has garnered the support of dozens of ad agencies and hundreds of young creatives in the ad and PR industries. The campaign asks industry players to sign onto its pledge not to work with any company that makes more than half of its profits from the extraction of fossil fuels like oil, natural gas or coal, or any front group that represents those companies. Earlier this fall, the campaign published a list of 90 ad agencies and PR firms that it said have done work for fossil fuel companies since 2008. "Our planet is at a tipping point. There is no grey area here," the new creators' letter to Edelman reads. "Promoting ExxonMobil’s business model in 2021 means enabling untold human suffering and ecosystem destruction. Representing fossil fuel clients makes Edelman’s corporate commitment to operating within the goals of the Paris Agreement fraudulent." Edelman did not respond to Adweek's request for comment. Young Marketers Want Agencies That Align With Their Values—Especially on Climate Issues

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Influencers and Celebs Want the World's Largest PR Firm to Drop ExxonMobil

Activist group Clean Creatives issues open letter to Edelman: Cut the 'fancy ads' that give cover to climate destruction

Kathryn Lundstrom

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Kathryn Lundstrom