Between Our Steps: Greenwashing is Only One Ideology to Watch Out For in Ads

Buying a product is one thing; accepting an ideology is another. Cathy Hird reminds us to look at the message behind the ad to understand what, exactly, we're being sold.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

On a cold and windy day, after a long walk with the dogs, I was drenched in sweat. I had to change every layer or risk being cold.

Sweat is a natural body function, with a purpose. After a sweaty workout, our skin has a salty smell. Sure, our pits may stink, but that’s a sign that we exerted ourselves. A healthy sign.

So, what's going on with the idea that we need a whole-body deodorant?

An ad features a woman saying, “I trust (brand name) with these pits and everywhere else.” As she demonstrates the use of the deodorant, the watcher is supposed to realize that no part of their body should smell. At all.

That is not only unrealistic but denies the nature of humanity. We are animals with bodily functions, and they are appropriate. We are not sterile automatons. We don’t want to be machines (though they, too, have appropriate scents).

The thing about that commercial is that it is selling not just a product but an ideology.

Buying the product is one thing. Accepting the ideology is another.

Another set of commercials annoying me these days are for cold medication. In one, a coach is praised for knowing all the moves. The next scene shows him sick and receiving medication to ease his symptoms. I want to know whether he was already feeling unwell in the locker room. If so, he should have stayed home.

There is another that is worse. First, a woman walks up to a version of herself dressed in shabby clothes, telling herself that if she were well, she would never dress like that… especially three days in a row. The first underlying thought: it is not okay to be super comfy at home; it isn’t okay to put no thought into how you look.

Then, the cold medicine kicks in to ease her symptoms so she can get back to doing what she loves, going to a crowded party. Excuse me. The symptoms may improve, but that doesn’t eliminate the virus. She is still contagious and should stay home. Did we learn nothing during the pandemic?

One cold medication commercial I don’t mind features a woman at home helping her family. This advertises the same cold medication as the coach used. The message is that while she looks after everybody else, she often overlooks her own needs. Family steps in to care for her. As she drinks the medication that soothes her, she remains at home, relaxing and resting, thereby preventing the spread of her germs. She is a model to follow, as are those who cared for her.

And the greenwashing…

A commercial for bathroom tissue claims we know the product is soft, but did we also know it’s carbon neutral? The ad informs us that the company that manufactures it plants trees in responsibly managed forests, and several key ideas are embedded in this message.

First, that being carbon neutral is good. If we are to address climate change, we must find ways to achieve carbon neutrality in our entire lives.

Second, softness is good. I think in this product that’s fair, though scratchy-tough ones are cheaper, and in this time of inflation, lots of us are choosing less expensive products.

Third, responsibly managed forests and tree planting are a way to deal with carbon outputs. This is true, though what “responsibly managed” means is not clear in the ad.

One problem with this tissue is that the company only recently shifted to paper packaging. For a couple of years, the ad ran while the company wrapped their product in plastic, and there is no recycled fibre in it.

Another company has always wrapped their products in paper, uses recycled fibre, but they don’t advertise except on the package. I found that one because I stood in the grocery aisle lamenting all the plastic until I saw the one option I had to avoid it.

Upon checking, I discovered that this product originates from a single factory in Quebec. The other factories owned by the company are still using practices such as introducing new fibre and wrapping their products in plastic. I only buy the stuff from that one factory. I lament that doing right in one factory does not make the company good.

I could go on about ads that greenwash. The point is that there are underlying assumptions in all advertising. There are ideologies and practices being promoted alongside the sale of products.

Sure, buy the products we need (and can afford). However, when we encounter ads on our internet feed or on TV, we need to be aware of the attitudes they are promoting alongside their products.

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