 |
| An advertisement for Mentos gum |
And this isn’t a new phenomenon
either. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, according to Maier,
people "had already acknowledged that ‘mass media was likely to be of
major importance in the selection, transformation and circulation of environmental
meanings in modern society’” (166).
Mass media clearly has a lot of impact on the way people think, and can
really influence which products the public buys. This picture below is just one from a series
of posters which aim to steer customers towards more sustainable behaviors in this
gallery. Do you think media tools such as
these can help consumers choose an option better for the environment than they
otherwise would?
 |
| An example of a poster which promotes sustainable behaviors among consumers from a series of media campaigns found here. |
One example of a company who uses
sustainability in their platform is the consumer products company, Unilever.
They are one of the more reliable companies in their environmental campaigns,
but definitely use “being green” in their advertising campaigns. They have an
entire section of their website dedicated to sustainability. Here’s a
screenshot of their “Sustainable Living” webpage:
Unilever
places a lot of emphasis on their efforts to make their products green. Unlike
a lot of other places which are not as reliable, their efforts have distinct
goals and they are very transparent about which goals are being met and which
are taking longer than they expected. It’s clear that this company, unlike many
others, has made a true commitment to producing greener products which help the
environment.
What about
you? Do claims of sustainable products sway you when you’re trying to decide
which household cleaner to use, or do you stick to a certain brand or product
regardless of its effects on the environment?
Sources:
