Problem:

Our planet is in a dire situation with the exponential increase of greenhouse gas emissions created in the past century. And 100 of the largest corporations in the world are to blame for over 70% of these emissions. 

Oftentimes the consumer becomes the scapegoat for these massive corporations, being told they aren't doing enough. But in reality, 79% of Americans say they want to buy from brands that are environmentally friendly. So why aren't we?

The disconnect lies in the deceptive marketing put out by these corporations through greenwashing. 

*Greenwashing: The act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is

Insight:

We can’t fight something we can't see

It isn’t easy finding green: Right now consumers have to do extensive amounts of research to filter out the eco-conscious from the sea of greenwashers. But 42% of corporate environmental claims made online are deceptive or false, so even when “proof” is found through research, it can’t be trusted. This process is exhausting and people are forced to give up their search for eco-friendly alternatives. 

Opportunity: 

We need to meet consumers where they are with a tool that helps them make informed, eco-conscious purchasing decisions. To do this, we need to rip off their green-tinted glasses so they can see eco-dangerous companies for what they are. And beyond changing individual purchasing behaviors, this tool can “call out” greenwashing companies on a larger scale to force them to either defend, or cease their questionable eco-claims.

With 81% of the total population shopping online, we know our tool needs to live digitally. And 72.5% of Americans use social media, making it the perfect stage to publicly call out greenwashing companies. 

Strategy:

To help consumers go from eco-brainwashed to eco-aware, we’re calling out greewashers: “liar, liar, the world’s on fire.”

Creative Idea:

T.A.G: the Trust Against Greenwashing

A web browser extension that quickly identifies if the items you’re looking at on your screen are from a company that is climate conscious, or climate killing.

This browser extension is promoted by none other than TAG himself, our online troll that claps back at companies that post greenwashing content. He lives on social media to embarrass these companies in front of millions of consumers, and get people thinking about the eco-impact of their buying habits. 

TAGs social accounts link directly to a landing page where you can: 

1. Download the extension and start your safe shopping 

2. Look up companies in our extensive directory to find out more about their environmental impact.

TAG’s Socials

TAG Landing Page/Directory

Once downloaded, the extension lives in the corner of your browser and pops up with a warning when you're looking at climate killing products. You can also select it to see the level of eco-friendliness of anything you're shopping for (green icon means eco-friendly, yellow means neutral, and red means climate-killing) 

User Testimonial

We surveyed online shoppers to gauge interest for TAG and the results were overwhelmingly positive.

84% said they would use the eco-friendly alternative extension

My Role:

Primary and secondary research (1:1 interviews, social listening, desk research)

Strategy

Presentation story

Deck design

Team:

Kevin Kelleher (XD)

Molly Devereux (ST)

Ed Keithly (ST)