Billboard campaign puts fossil fuel advertising under the spotlight in New Zealand
A cheeky new out-of-home campaign calling out the relentless promotion of fossil fuels has popped up across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with a clear message for governments: stop fossil fuel advertising. The campaign, led by climate communications charity Comms Declare, was devised by Supergood, with Alchemy One buying OOH assets at major centres.
Belinda Noble, Founder of Comms Declare, says the link between continued fossil fuel use and weather disasters has been proven beyond doubt: “As we’ve tragically seen in recent weeks, New Zealanders are living with more intense floods and storms, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels.
“Yet every day we’re surrounded by ads encouraging us to keep buying dirty energy and portraying polluting companies as friends of the community.
Says Joel Trethowan, Managing Director at Alchemy One: “Advertising is continually shaped by changing standards, community expectations and regulatory risk. This campaign applies that same perspective to fossil fuel advertising, as scrutiny around greenwashing, brand safety and future regulation continues to grow. From a media perspective, it’s a logical evolution rather than a radical one.”
Matt Halliday from Comms Declare Aotearoa says advertising plays a powerful role in shaping what people buy and what is socially acceptable: “Fossil fuel advertising works by normalising demand for products that are driving climate harm, at exactly the moment we need to be accelerating the shift to cleaner transport and energy.
“As a country of abundant renewable resources, it’s time for Aotearoa to stop accelerating pollution and start backing solutions that actually protect our future.”
Fast Facts – Fossil Ad Bans
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Aotearoa’s first fossil fuel advertising restrictions were introduced by Greater Wellington Regional Council across the Metlink public transport network in 2023.
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In Australia, 18 fossil fuel advertising bans have been voted for or implemented, including by the City of Sydney and the Australian Capital Territory.
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High carbon advertising has been prohibited in more than 40 jurisdictions globally
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France has introduced a national ban on fossil fuel advertising.
A recent poll for WWF found nearly two-thirds of Kiwis (65%) say the Government should prioritise renewable energy over fossil fuels, while 66% believe expanding renewable energy would help bring household electricity bills down.
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