When it comes to advertising and marketing, brands are often slammed for using causevertising or wokeism as part of the widespread tokenism prevalent in the industry and hence even the biggest of efforts have many a times led to very less or marginal outcomes in terms of the brand’s positioning when compared to the expected results that one has for purpose-led moves.
That being said, for years, a wide array of brands from all sorts of categories have resorted to using days like World Environment Day for moment marketing on social media merely as a customary.
But this time around what has changed is that the needle seems to have shifted from using causes like sustainability and climate change as mere hooks or tokens for gaining public eyeball to actually championing the cause and striking a real deal by spreading mass awareness on these very pertinent issues which require immediate attention.
Here’s a look at some of the standout company initiatives and ad campaigns rolled out by the brand world on the occasion that caught our attention:
#I’mAVantarian by Anant Ambani’s Vantara
The wildlife preservation initiative supported by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation, and a brainchild of Anant Ambani, on the occasion of World Environment Day 2024 collaborated with a slew of renowned celebrities including Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor, Kusha Kapila, Varun Sharma, Ajay Devgn and KL Rahul to highlight how the world is ours and therefore the responsibility of taking care of it also lies on us as it is we who are the habitants of the planet.
The star studded campaign then went on to showcase how various celebrities have taken a pledge to take care, protect and save land, nature and wildlife by being a part of #I’mAVantarian movement.
It then went on to draw the viewers’ attention to the fact that no matter how small or big, it is the consistent change that will aid in bringing about a world of positive impact.
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#BenchPeBaat by Coca Cola
In celebration of World Environment Day, Coca-Cola India today launchedAimed at reviving the spirit of true connections and conversations among people, one of the leading beverages brands in India, Coca Cola, also doubled down on its commitment to creating a World Without Waste through a circular economy and fostering meaningful interactions in communities across the country via the launch of its #BenchPeBaat campaign.
As part of the initiative, Coca-Cola India through its foundation, Anandana, in partnership with United Way Mumbai installed 380 sustainable and repurposed benches in 10 Indian cities- namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Dharamshala, and Lucknow.
Each of the repurposed benches were crafted from recycled plastic waste collected during the ICC World Cup 2023. In fact, to create a single bench, the company used approximately 50 Kgs of recycled plastic waste collected from its last year’s partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and United Way Mumbai during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by the strategic placement of Reverse Vending Machines and collection bins at stadium touchpoints and ICC hospitality zones in 10 host cities.
That being said, the brand also rolled out a campaign film conceptualized by Havas People India, a talent communication and employer branding agency of Havas India, featuring a blend of innovative AI-generated visuals to capture the essence of its message by immersing viewers in the story of the sustainable benches as conversation starters, through heartwarming and colorful imagery that is believed to be resonating deeply with the audience.
#SaveTheFuture by DS Group
To celebrate World Environment Day 2024, Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), a multi-business corporation and one of India’s leading FMCG conglomerates, launched an innovative awareness campaign titled #SaveTheFuture to highlight the pressing need for sustainable living and the disastrous outcomes of unchecked environmental degradation with a unique ‘newspaper of the future’ print ad.
Herein, the viewers upon scanning the code are directed to an AR video which showcases future headlines like ‘The grass is no longer greener on either side’ leading up to the message: ‘Our sayings will lose their essence if we don’t act now to save the nature.’
As per the brand, #SaveTheFuture campaign is built on the profound insight into human nature and tendency to undervalue the treasures one possesses until they are lost. Through a combination of innovative and tech-based storytelling and immersive visuals, DS Group will showcase a glimpse of a possible future ravaged by environmental neglect on various social media platforms, where AI-generated images and visuals to highlight issues like pollution and the importance of preserving water reservoirs, complemented by reels from content creators, etc.
‘Drops of Joy’ by Lay’s India
On World Environment Day 2024, one of India’s leading food and snacking major, Lay’s India from the house of PepsiCo championed the message ‘Potatoes Are The True Superheroes’ with the nationwide launch of its film- ‘Drops of Joy’.
Showcasing PepsiCo India’s commitment to eco-friendly practices in its manufacturing plants in West Bengal (Kolkata) and Uttar Pradesh (Kosi), this initiative is a significant step towards water positivity. This is a part of the ‘Positive Value Chain’ pillar under PepsiCo Positive (pep+) – a strategic end-to-end transformation towards sustainability as the brand is committed to becoming net water positive by 2030.
This process is beautifully illustrated in an animated film called ‘Drops of Joy’ by Lay’s, which aims to
With an aim of evoking feelings of joy, inspiring hope, and fostering a deep emotional connection with the audience, Lay’s India in this animated campaign highlights that during frying, about 80% of the water naturally found in potatoes evaporates and is typically wasted. But in the case of Lay’s specifically, a distinctive process is employed to reclaim and convert this vapor back into water as the speciality of this particular variant of potato is its ability to use its own water to create water.
JK Paper’s commitment to ‘Land Restoration’
Conceptualized by JK Paper, the informative video highlighting its steadfast commitment to the theme of ‘Land Restoration’ is rooted in the fact that the company has been using Agro/Social Farm Forestry Program since 1990 to cultivate and harvest special tree varieties like Subabul, Casuarina, and Eucalyptus on farmland first and then utilize them in paper production to not just enrich the green cover but demonstrate a sustainable approach to business.
The program has significantly impacted the environment and the company by promoting land restoration and preventing desertification.
Furthermore, the brand also highlighted that in addition to environmental benefits, JK Paper’s initiative has empowered marginalized communities, providing farmers with sustainable livelihoods by covering nearly 9.50 lakh acres of land and planted over 123 crore saplings, benefiting 1.28 lakh farmer families.
That being said, through dedicated research and development, JK Paper has also developed short-rotation clones of Subabul and Eucalyptus, enhancing productivity and enabling farmers to achieve higher annual revenues.
‘Delivering to Planet Earth’ by Zomato
In an effort to commemorate World Environment Day 2024, Zomato, one of India’s leading food ordering and delivery platform, has launched an ad film reinforcing its commitment to facilitate 100% EV-based deliveries by 2030.
The film begins with a close-up of a Zomato delivery partner, who says, “Zomato mein, humne, deliveries ko pollution-free banane ke liye kaafi cheezein try kari…” as the camera slowly pans out and what follows this is a series of attempts by the delivery partner using every unusual method of transport possible to deliver the order on time – from camels, roller skates to pigeons and even paragliding.
Furthermore, the film also showcases a Zomato delivery partner bouncing on a pogo stick, and trying to hitch a ride on a baby’s pram, as well as participating in children’s games like “Chidhiya Udd,” illustrating the lengths taken to ensure efficient and timely deliveries before culminating with the delivery partner opting for an EV bike as the perfect solution – fast, efficient, and pollution-free based on the fact that EVs have zero tailpipe emissions.
The uniting of Mamaearth and Swiggy Instamart for #GoGreen
Being a strong believer in the power of doing good to drive meaningful change that it is, Mamaearth partnered with Swiggy Instamart on the occasion of World Environment Day for a special sampling activity in Delhi NCR wherein it included complimentary seed samples with close to 30,000 orders delivered through Swiggy Instamart on June 5.
As per the brands, this joint effort represented more than just a campaign for it stood as a testament to both the brands’ commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. That being said Mamaearth spokespersons also mentioned that with an aim to inspire new age consumers to begin their sustainability journey right from the comfort of their homes, the brand envisions a future where every home nurtures a thriving garden, every individual embraces an eco-conscious and sustainable lifestyle, and together, everybody co-creates a world where harmony between humanity and nature prevails.
Furthermore, the brand also emphasised that since goodness starts with small choices one makes every day, it has come up with initiatives like Plant Goodness where every order made on the website results in a tree being planted on behalf of the consumer.
Additionally, the forward looking plan of Mamaearth of the Plant Goodness initiative lies in its ambition to plant 1M trees by 2025 and so far, the brand has already planted 6 lakh trees in collaboration with an NGO and farmers for agroforestry in farmlands across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Moreover, the saplings planted are fruit- bearing trees that help farmers increase income opportunities with the produce from these trees and the agroforestry approach doesn’t use the entire agricultural land, and the farmers continue to do their farming along with creating an orchard.
This helps in creating carbon sinks in agricultural fields, thus moving towards the target of ‘Net Zero Carbon’. The brand has also created positive environmental changes, including the sequestration of 250,000 tons of carbon and the production of 500,000 tons of oxygen each year, while greening 3,500 acres of land.
Lenovo
In its social media post on the occasion of World Environment Day, Lenovo asked its audiences to join it in the efforts to build a greener future and save the world by pressing ‘Ctrl+S’ on the proponent of sustainable technology.
“With our CO2 Offset Services, Lenovo helps you offset your device’s average 5-year carbon footprint at point of purchase, reducing emissions and promoting sustainable IT solutions,” the brand mentioned in its post which was conceptualised by FCB Kinnect.
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Tata.EV
On June 5, Tata.EV also rolled out a moment marketing campaign to double down on the brand’s promise of ‘Move With Meaning’ wherein it highlighted that while it is easy to take the first step or create a moment, it is difficult to change the world or build a movement.
Similarly, the brand also suggests that while it is difficult to convince people or even live a guilt-free life, its easy to convince people and show them how.
Ultimately, coming back to the brand’s tagline, Tata.Ev mentioned, while it is easy to drive a zero-emission car, it is difficult to drive a change, but even then what is easy is to move with meaning and do the right thing for it can bring meaningful shifts.
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Mondelez India
Deeply rooted in its communities through the brand’s decade old national CSR program, ‘Shubh Aarambh’, Mondelez India in a press statement released on the occasion of World Environment Day mentioned that it continues to understand the unique needs of its communities and aims to empower them through tailored initiatives.
“One such pressing priority that emerged was the need for greening and related efforts towards land rejuvenation, water conservation etc., especially in areas where our signature Cocoa Life program is active. As part of this, we rolled out a comprehensive Cocoa Agroforestry Program in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. We equip these communities with sustainable agricultural practices such as soil conservation methods, water management techniques, and ways to boost climate resilience and increase yields through Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Environmental Practices (GEP),” it said.
Furthermore, the company also mentioned that to tackle the larger issue of water scarcity and overuse of groundwater, it is converting defunct wells into injection wells to effectively replenish underground water tables and rejuvenate the land, as the same has shown encouraging results, especially in Andhra Pradesh’s Pedavegi area, for the brand.
“As we celebrate World Environment Day 2024, we remain committed to creating a positive impact through our Cocoa Agroforestry Program and other initiatives under ‘Shubh Aarambh’, while continuously adapting to the evolving needs of the communities we serve,” it said.
The Body Shop
To highlight the brand’s initiatives on the World Environment Day 2024, The Body Shop India also released a press statement to draw focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience, which serves as a vital rallying cry.
“At The Body Shop, our commitment to sustainability is unwavering. Our cornerstone effort lies in the Community Fair Trade (CFT) program, which promotes sustainable agriculture. Detailed in our Sustainable Sourcing Charter, this program underscores our dedication to creating sustainable supply chains while staying true to our brand values. By responsibly sourcing ingredients like shea butter from Ghana, aloe from Mexico, mango seed oil from India, and tea tree oil from Kenya, we not only empower local communities but also promote best farming practices,” the company mentioned.
Furthermore, it also highlighted that the brand’s partnership with Plastics For Change underscored the company’s dedication to sustainability.
“By sourcing recycled plastic from waste collectors in Bengaluru, we provide fair wages and improved working conditions for over 2,000 collectors, with more than half being women. Since 2019, we’ve procured over 2,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste, equivalent to 100 million collected bottles. This initiative reduces dependence on virgin plastic, conserves water, and minimizes pollution, fostering a more sustainable and resilient environment,” the press statement read.
