Swedish plant-based dairy-alternative brand Oatly is calling for ‘climate labelling’ and offering free ad space to any dairy company that is transparent about its climate footprint.
In a move to shed light on the climate impact of dairy products, Oatly is calling for any dairy brand willing to be honest about their ‘climate footprint numbers’ to apply for its ad space.
The campaign aims to draw attention to Oatly’s mission – a call for all food and drink companies in the UK to follow its example and publish their climate footprint on their products.
Dubbing these high-carbon products as ‘Big Dairy’, the campaign is designed in a bid to convince the industry to introduce mandatory climate labelling.
The out-of-home (OOH) features above a shop, with one side of the billboard telling passers-by about the footprint numbers included on the plant-based brand’s packaging.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing campaigns sent straight to your inbox each morning
The simple creative features Oatly’s blue cartoon oat milk on a white background, with the black text that reads: “We bought this billboard to tell you about the climate footprint numbers we’ve included on our products”.
Yet the other side, which incorporates the same style and typography, reads: “And we’re donating this side to the dairy industry so they can tell you their climate footprint numbers too”.
Alongside an outline of a traditional plastic dairy milk bottle with a question mark, the second side of the poster also features a call to action asking brands to “apply”.
The campaign was sparked by research conducted by Oatly that found UK consumers strongly support the idea of carbon labelling on food and drink, with nearly two thirds saying they were in favour of implementing the measures.
“Emissions from the food system, which currently equate to 35 per cent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, must come down and changes to consumer choice are vital,” said a spokesperson for Oatly.
“Dietary change can deliver environmental benefits on a scale not achievable by producers.”
Noting that the climate information is already given for consumers of products like cars, or fridges, the statement added: “The same must logically apply to food and drink.”
The campaign comes amid recent measures by the Green Party, which last week voted for an immediate ban on ‘High Carbon Adverts‘, with MP Caroline Lucas declare them as “incompatible with a sustainable society or liveable future”.
It is not the only campaign by Oatly this year: In April the brand created a new website entitled f*ckoatly.com, to address its history of backlash and criticism.
