Read on Twitter
I've tweeted a lot about Oatly since they took investment from Blackstone - it's a really interesting case study in the flaws of "conscious capitalism" and their new advert proves it...
(Here comes another thread) https://twitter.com/SianEConway/status/1301125317176840194
(Here comes another thread) https://twitter.com/SianEConway/status/1301125317176840194
For background: Oatly took investment from Blackstone - one of the biggest companies leading deforestation in the Amazon rainforest (and their CEO funded Trump)
Why? In their statement they said they were proud to take this money and use it in a more sustainable way, sending a "signal" to the financial market that sustainability is the way to go.
Problematic because of the scale of Blackstone's unsustainable activity.
Potentially enabling them to use the Oatly brand to greenwash.
And now that's exactly what's happening...
Potentially enabling them to use the Oatly brand to greenwash.
And now that's exactly what's happening...
Their new advert shows a son "catching out" his dad for buying dairy milk and shaming him.
YET AGAIN we are told to focus on what WE can do. The micro actions and small eco swaps.
And we're encouraged to shame each other for not making them.
YET AGAIN we are told to focus on what WE can do. The micro actions and small eco swaps.
And we're encouraged to shame each other for not making them.
This is a clever advertising shift for Oatly. Their core audience have largely abandoned them since taking investment, so they're now going for a more mainstream audience - people at the start of their eco/vegan journey who are fully bought into microactions as the solution.
This more mainstream market is likely to be more profitable, and you could argue it will encourage more people to embrace an eco friendly lifestyle, which will bring down emissions and have a positive impact. Right?
But here's the thing - 71% of emissions globally are caused by just 100 companies.
Even if we all made all the eco switches overnight, if we are still buying from those companies, nothing will change.
Even if we all made all the eco switches overnight, if we are still buying from those companies, nothing will change.
Which is why it's so problematic when big companies (big polluters) like Blackstone buy ethical brands like Oatly.
Because then our small switches and micro actions still financially feed unsustainable behaviour.
Because then our small switches and micro actions still financially feed unsustainable behaviour.
And the worst part is, Oatly advertisers are encouraging us to focus on micro actions and shaming each other as a distraction technique.
Meanwhile, what are Blackstone up to?
Meanwhile, what are Blackstone up to?
Investing and profiting heavily from fossil fuels, funding climate deniers in the White House to prevent legislation going through that would hinder these investments, and continuing to sell us capitalism as a solution to climate change so they can be the ones who profit.
