Rebranding the Climate Crisis: Advertising Needs to Recognise “Audiences Are Emotionally Exhausted”

As the climate crisis escalates, advertising leaders are advocating for a narrative shift in climate messaging, advocating for advertising as a way to foster a more optimistic view of environmental action.

Kiranpreet Kaur Dhillon, founder and head strategist at 42North, emphasised the need for brands to adopt positive messaging strategies that resonate with audiences exhausted by a barrage of social and environmental issues.

“Audiences are emotionally exhausted from the barrage of social and environmental issues,” Kiranpreet told advertisers at SXSW Sydney, highlighting the importance of engaging overwhelmed consumers.

She also underscored that successful climate communications should focus on authenticity and the real impact of brands, rather than utilising guilt or greenwashing.

“If you can’t say anything good, it's probably worth not saying anything at all at this moment,” she said.

“That’s not intuitive – it’s not productive from a comms perspective,” she advised.

Kiranpreet pointed to successful campaigns that have embraced a more positive narrative, such as eBay's promotion of sustainable clothing and Patagonia's iconic ‘Don't Buy This Jacket.’

These campaigns not only sparked interest in sustainability but also fostered a sense of community and purpose among consumers.

“While these tactics worked back in the day, now there’s a really good case to start telling your story in a way that people are engaged and not take the classical approach that we used to, that used to work,” she said.

Her emphasis on feel-good stories resonated strongly with the audience, signalling a clear shift in how brands need to communicate their values and initiatives in an era of consumer fatigue.

Arielle Gamble, co-founder and CEO of Groundswell Giving, echoed Kiranpreet’s sentiments, illustrating how advertising has historically contributed to misinformation yet can be a vital tool for promoting climate solutions.

Arielle pointed to the long history of disinformation campaigns by fossil fuel companies that began in the 1980s.

“What we've seen is four decades of delay, disinformation, and a very effective marketing campaign,” she stated, stressing the urgency of immediate climate action.

Arielle urged advertising professionals to reshape narratives around climate action, promoting solutions and countering disinformation with hopeful messaging. She emphasised the potential for authentic, positive narratives to connect with audiences fatigued by doom and gloom.

“The stories we shape [and] we tell today will shape the future we wake up to tomorrow,” she said.

Media professional and 'investigative humourist' Dan Ilic brought a unique perspective to the discussion with his own experiences in climate activism.

Dan recounted a crowdfunding campaign for billboards during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021, which called out the Australian government’s inaction on climate.

His campaign demonstrated the power of humour in advocacy and the importance of holding leaders accountable.

“Often, we can all feel powerless,” Dan said, “but I had the privilege to pull together people and saw that we could be powerful.”