The smoothie brand has turned Trafalgar Square into a green oasis in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity in urban spaces, highlighting the drinks company’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2025. The new campaign encompasses the brand’s commitment to protect and preserve 2 million hectares of land.

Innocent is calling on brands and bodies like the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to join forces to ensure businesses feel confident communicating their sustainability goals.

“We’re really keen to get to a common framework and governance that we can work within,” explains Innocent CMO Kirsty Hunter. “We want to work with other brands, other NGOs, the likes of the ASA so we can get to a common framework because otherwise, we’ll paralyse ourselves and not do anything.”

Just two months ago, the drinks giant faced accusations of ‘greenwashing’, coming under fire from the ASA for “misleading” climate claims made in a TV ad for its 2021 ‘Little Drinks, Big Dreams’ campaign.

It’s an experience the brand has learnt a lot from, says Hunter, who moves into her new role as CMO following two years as marketing director.

“It’s not enough to just have the big headline and say the big statement, you have to support that with action and evidence as well,” she states, speaking to Marketing Week at the launch of Innocent’s ‘Big Rewild’ campaign today (27 April).

My fear is that we end up having brands and businesses that take absolutely no action because they’re so nervous.
Kirsty Hunter, Innocent

The guidance around climate and sustainability is a “grey area” admits Hunter, who explains some of the conversation is about the product versus the “aspirations for your brand”. Furthermore, sustainability itself is a “hugely complex environment”, due to the ever-changing nature of the science behind it.

“We can spark that conversation, but it can’t just be the brands making those calls,” says Hunter.
She is optimistic that this will happen and brands will have a better grounding to build their sustainability pledges and actions. However, she believes the environment needs to change to ensure brands feel comfortable speaking up.

“My fear is that we end up having brands and businesses that take absolutely no action because they’re so nervous,” says Hunter.

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