Only 4% of ads over the last three years contain sustainability messaging, suggests new research from data platform CreativeX commissioned ahead of World Earth Day.
The research used AI technology to analyse 2.5 million adverts, including campaigns from brands such as Nestlé, Heineken and Unilever.
The study looked at work from 11 industries such as automotive, retail, food and beverage industries – all of which are implicated in the move towards Net Zero.
The number of adverts featuring sustainability messaging increased steadily from January 2020 until December 2022 but fell 47% at the beginning of 2023, which Creative X said reflects climate change being eclipsed by the cost of living crisis.
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The study also highlighted that brands tend to use positive language when speaking about issues around sustainability, messages urging consumers to make greener choices were four times more frequent than neutral or negative commentary on climate change.
Messaging around individual responsibility has been criticised by some academics and activists for avoiding the importance of institutional and government responsibility. Brands have also been accused of greenwashing by using language that makes them appear more environmentally friendly than they are.
“Our research demonstrates that despite meaningful commitments to sustainability, marketers are struggling to embed sustainability messaging into their overall communication and creative strategy, said Creative X founder and ceo Anastasia Leng.
“If brands are putting in the effort to work more sustainably, they’re certainly not telling their consumers about it,” she added.
