‘Sustainability’ is a turn-off, so try selling a good life

The headline figure from new research that 45 per cent of Irish people agree “the world would be better off without advertising (in its current form)” had me thinking that someone was out with a clipboard gathering views on that annoying TV ad for Sky with the gormless man on the sofa intoning “eeehhh” or the Eir one where someone thought a child saying “gigglybit” was the last word in cute — when it’s simply infuriating.

But no, the figure is from the Good Life Ireland 2030 project which has a much loftier aim than tallying consumer irritation. The ambitious project attempts to interrogate what Irish people consider “a good life” and explore consumption in the context of climate change and the role the advertising industry can play in helping us meet our climate goals.

The year 2030 refers to the EU-wide 1.5 degree target under which countries must cut emissions by at least 45 per cent compared to 2010. Ireland is not on course to meet those targets.

When talking about the climate crisis and exploring how we must change our lifestyles to meet climate goals, the word ‘sustainable’ is usually to the fore

According to Laura Costello, head of sustainability and planet services at marketing company Thinkhouse, the research “is the first citizen vision report designed to uncover insights into what Irish people believe a ‘good life’ looks like for them in 2030 and the role of advertising in supporting this”.

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The framing of “the good life” is an interesting starting point.

When talking about the climate crisis and exploring how we must change our lifestyles to meet climate goals, the word “sustainable” is usually to the fore. But that, suggests the project, is a key part of the communications problem because “sustainable” has connotations of compromise and scarcity which means it is a less appealing avenue for most people to explore.

Instead, the project says, “we need to reimagine the components of a more enjoyable good life that happens to be sustainable”.

What emerged is that when articulating their vision for the future, nothing matters more to Irish people than ‘feeling connected’

For the survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A in December 2023, 1,030 people were polled and 25 took part in an in-depth qualitative analysis — conducted online and over three days — where they were encouraged to explore what they wanted from life and to consider their views on advertising.

What emerged is that when articulating their vision for the future, nothing matters more to Irish people than “feeling connected”. And within this overarching theme, there are three consistent and distinct threads: a desire for more connection to others, nature and themselves.

The project is funded by Creative Ireland as part of the Creative Climate Action Fund, and is created by Dublin-based Thinkhouse and Purpose Disruptors, a not-for-profit organisation founded by marketing, media and advertising industry leaders “on a mission to catalyse the advertising industry’s climate transition”.

Key findings in the research include that 42 per cent say “the advertising industry promotes an image of life that is harmful for people in Ireland” (39 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed).

When thinking about the industry’s influence on a “good life”, just 45 per cent of those surveyed disagreed that “the advertising industry promotes an image of life that is in line with what I want for myself”. So nearly half of those surveyed feel that the work of the advertising industry is misaligned with what they want for themselves. That’s the sort of insightful data an agency can bring to a client when developing a campaign brief.

The overwhelming majority of those polled, 77%, agree that ‘the advertising industry should help people lead healthy, sustainable lives’

And as for that figure of 45 per cent of Irish people who agree “the world would be better off without advertising (in its current form)”? It is difficult to interpret because no clarity is given as regards what the respondents mean by “in its current form”.

The overwhelming majority of those polled, 77 per cent, agree that “the advertising industry should help people lead healthy, sustainable lives” and the next phase of the project should show what the industry can do if let off the client leash.

Using these research findings as a brief, industry professionals are being invited to come together and join the Irish branch of Purpose Disrupters to create an advertising campaign that will likely emerge later this year.

The “good life” project has already been rolled out in the UK, with Purpose Disruptors in London taking the lead. And one of the advertising campaigns that emerged was called, “Reclaiming the commercial break”.

The two-month campaign across digital, cinema, online and outdoor included a takeover of the giant screen at London’s Piccadilly Circus. Traditional-looking commercials were interrupted with messages such as: “Deal of the day, 50% more time with the fam”, “Limited time offer, hanging out with the oldies” and “The future’s bright, the future’s ours to create”.

The familiar advertising language invited people to step away from consumption and rethink what a good life might be and to help them reflect on what is important.

The response by advertising and marketing industries to the climate crisis remains slow, the Good Life Ireland 2030 report acknowledges

As an interesting side project for advertising executives, creating such campaigns is undeniably appealing – but how it translates into their day jobs is the next challenge.

The response by advertising and marketing industries to the climate crisis remains slow, the Good Life Ireland 2030 report acknowledges. No surprise there though. When the industry is built on consumption, selling new shiny things for an idealised lifestyle you didn’t know you wanted, selling the idea that a “good life” is all about more stuff, status and wealth. And it is, after all, a business service, with clients and their budgets calling the tune.

Project lead Costello is more hopeful about the impact the Good Life Ireland 2030 research will have, saying that the advertising industry as “architects of desire” are well placed to explore its role “in a culture of unsustainable consumption and to face this head-on”.