Make love, not 'eco'

Yesterday, I was at a C4 Climate Change seminar, where John Grant talked a lot about 'Mythologise The New'. I think he's referring to an idea similar to the one here.

He suggests that key to marketing sustainability is making it relevant to values consumers already hold. So instead of talking about 'eco' or even 'sustainability', why not talk about caring, integrity and love?

A 'lovely' example of this idea is Act On CO2's car ads. In the UK, cars are our castle, and we all think we're great drivers, so the ads here talk about tyres and engines - something we understand and won't take offence at if a brand gives us advice.


Another ad that gets talked about a lot is Ariel. This ad is great for many reasons, yet the constant thematic of family love throughout is also what makes it so effective.


Great stuff when so many brands adopt 'swampy' terms in the quest for credibility.