THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ADS

If there’s one thing most of us can agree on, it’s that we need to be kinder to our planet.

Naturally, advertisers are savvy to our increasingly eco-conscious mindset, hence there are plenty of television commercials that place the environment front and centre of their campaign.

What exactly does an environmental advert look like? Well, it all comes down to what is being advertised.

To a fashion brand like Levi’s, an environmental advertisement informs consumers that they’re doing their bit to ensure that they make conscious decisions that are planet-positive.

To an environmental organisation like Conservation International, an environmental advertisement warns viewers about the consequences of the planet’s destruction.

To a car manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz, an environmental commercial often promotes a new, more eco-friendly automobile.

Below, we take a look at the best environmental ads, produced by the likes of Apple, Pangaia, IKEA and WWF.

How Do You Advertise Environmental Awareness?

Before we dive into our best environmental ads list, we thought it’d be best to answer one of the most popular questions surrounding the topic: how do you advertise environmental awareness?

To that we say that environmental awareness can be raised in a plethora of ways, as there are a variety of aspects an advertiser may choose to focus on.

Perhaps the most obvious way in which an advertiser may ensure that viewers are aware of the impact human beings are having on the planet is by literally presenting them with scenes of worldwide destruction, be that dirty oceans, droughts, wildfires or obtrusive landfills.

A second way an advertiser may open up conversations about environmental awareness is by reminding viewers of the beauty of the world. Usually, these kinds of environmental ads ask viewers to be conscious about our impact on the Earth for future generations of humans and the animal kingdom.

A third way advertisers can raise awareness about environmental issues is by presenting viewers with sustainable choices they can make to combat environmental issues – for instance, purchasing an electric car, or wearing clothes made from recycled materials.

The fourth and final way an advertiser may raise awareness about the environment is by producing an advert that pivots around a promise they’re making which involves turning towards more sustainable practices. Of course, brands often do this to entice the conscious-minded to purchase its products or use its services.

Check out this Earth Day ad from NASA for more inspiration.

The Best Environmental Ads

• Toyota – Environmental Commitment: Earth Day
• Pangaia – What on Earth is PANGAIA?
• WWF – We Are All Connected
• Apple – A Climate Change Promise
• Conservation International – Nature Now
• UN Environment Programme – #CleanSeas Break Up PSA
• Wild – The Sustainable Natural Deodorant
• Adidas Originals – End Plastic Waste | STAN SMITH, FOREVER
• Mango – Making Fashion More Sustainable
• Volvo Moment – Sustainability #VolvoRecharged

Toyota – Environmental Commitment: Earth Day

For Earth Day 2018, Toyota announced that they are committed to building a better world via an upbeat commercial complete with an upbeat soundtrack.

Its contribution? Eco-advanced vehicles that eliminate CO2 emissions.

Pangaia – What on Earth is Pangaia?

Eco-friendly fashion label Pangaia is concerned with finding new and unexpected ways to use natural materials to form hype-worthy clothes.

Within this 2022 ad – soundtracked by psychedelic ‘60s anthem ‘Ad Gloriam’ by Le Orme – the environmentally-friendly firm introduces themselves to anyone who’s not yet aware of the brand and its planet-positive ethos.

WWF – We Are All Connected

WWF’s 2011 ‘We Are All Connected’ commercial is a touching piano-led ad that reminds viewers that all living things on this planet are bound together – from the elephants to the birds to the people – with a little love and a lot of rope.

Apple – A Climate Change Promise

Another environmental ad that’s imbued with emotion is Apple’s 2020 ‘A Climate Change Promise’ commercial.

Essentially the ad places focus on a reassuring narrator telling a young baby named Edan that the company plans on making positive changes to the planet for the sake of future generations.

Conservation International – Nature Now

Think of the environment, and Greta Thunberg will likely come to mind.

In 2019, Nature Now gave the young activist a platform to share her message about the impact fossil fuels are having on the planet.

It’s safe to say she gets her point across with a little help from some shocking visuals and a dramatic background music track.

UN Environment Programme – #CleanSeas Break Up PSA

Yes, environmental ads can be humorous. Case in point: the UN Environment Programme’s ‘#CleanSeas’ ad from the 2018 commercial.

Inspired by archetypal movie break-up scenes, the ad focuses on a girl breaking up with ocean-damaging plastics – and, of course, it’s enhanced by some heartbreak music.

Wild – The Sustainable Natural Deodorant

Wild knows that saving the world should be a positive thing, which is why its ad focusing on sustainable natural deodorant from June 2021 keeps things light-hearted throughout.

Led by a buoyant main character walking through the woods, the ad is about as laidback as an environmental ad can be.

Adidas Originals – End Plastic Waste | Stan Smith, Forever

Who better to inform audiences about the beauty of being green than Kermit the Frog? Yoda, you say? Well, he’s also featured in this Adidas Originals ad that promotes the brand’s sustainable Stan Smith sneaker.

Plus, the shoe’s namesake makes an appearance himself, along with some soul-stirring string-led background music.

Mango – Making Fashion More Sustainable

In 2021, Mango created a commercial characterised by earthy ensembles, atmospheric music and exotic destinations that let shoppers know that it’s committed to creating clothes from materials with sustainable properties.

It’s almost as if the Spanish brand is suggesting that shopping with them can help one reconnect with nature.

Volvo Moment – Sustainability #VolvoRecharged

Many viewers gained new respect for Swedish car manufacturer Volvo the minute that they admitted in their 2019 ad that they’ve been contributing to climate change, but are looking to make some positive changes in the coming years. Finally, some transparency!

The brand's plan? Become climate neutral by placing emphasis on electric models and using renewable energy to run production plants.

Need More Ad Inspiration?

If you happen to be an advertiser on the lookout for some ad inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Audio Network, we have heaps of ad-focused articles (just like this one) over on The Edit. So, no matter what type of ad you’re looking to produce – whether that be a Valentine’s Day ad, Christmas ad, sports ad, Chinese ad or anything else – you’ll be sure to find content to seek inspiration from.

Once you’re set an idea, it’s time to start thinking about music for advertising – something we’ve also got an abundance of. The most productive way to explore our sizable catalogue? By discovering our playlists.