We’ve all seen it a dozen times on television, a commercial shows a shiny, new car driving up windy, mountainside roads, and a narrator lists all the environmentally friendly aspects of the vehicle. The automobile company will argue that it’s the greenest car out there, and they have the best ideas for a sustainable auto industry. You’re quickly distracted by all the promises of high gas mileage, road handling, comfortable interiors and safety features. Before you know it, the car has reached the top of the mountain, looking out onto a bright, sunny field or even a clear, blue ocean and sometimes even the surrounding wildlife like it! This specific car is one with Earth, in complete harmony with its surrounding environment.
Despite all the latest hype about fuel-efficient or hybrid cars and the future of alternative fuels, there are few things more harmful to the environment than cars. But the automakers know if they have any chance of continuing to sell cars to consumers, they feel the need to wrap themselves up in the idea of ‘green.’ Still, no matter how automakers spin it, cars aren’t good for the environment. They are made up of thousands of parts produced by harsh chemicals. Those parts are generally made in other countries and then shipped across the ocean on fuel consuming ships. So, no matter how your car is powered, it’s making an impact on the Earth.
What exactly is greenwashing?
The latest company to jump on the greenwashing bandwagon is Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). They launched a cross-promotion partnership in support of the release of Universal Pictures Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax,” saying its cars were “Certified Truffula Tree Friendly.” It’s clear that Mazda is trying to use the values and emotions we associate with the Lorax, conserving our resources and teaching these values to our children, but does the advertisement taint our fond memories of the childhood story?
The advertising industry has really stepped up to make us feel better about the things that are not green by making them feel or appear green. These commercials are meant to make us, as the consumers, believe buying this car is actually going to give us opportunities to aid in helping the environment, when in fact the motives are purely profit driven. These ads might be well produced with appealing colors, catchy music, reassuring announcers and even childhood memories, but are they for the right reasons? Are automakers greenwashing the public just to cash in on a recent trend?
If you happened to miss the Mazda/Lorax commercial, check it out below:
2012 Mazda – Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Thanks for posting this commercial! Like the commercials we watched in class together this one too is a bit strange once you start thinking about it. You mention that Mazda is clearly trying to tap into the “values and emotions we associate with the Lorax.” This is a great point, though I wonder: what are those emotions? Love? Hope? Happiness or contentment? These are certainly positive emotions and it’s too bad that they are so easily hijacked by companies to sell stuff to us. Do you think it could be possible to re-appropriate those feelings from commercials like these and use them in more radical (and non-capitalistic) ways?
I found this post to be very intriguing! I had not given excessive thought to how many resources are needed to produce a new car, even if it is supposed to be better for the environment. In the commercial you posted, I noticed how the animals seemed not to notice as the car went by. I assume that this implies that the car will have relatively no impact on the environment. Also, it reminds me of the discussion we were having about dominion vs stewardship in class. As the green movement becomes more popular it seems that humans are trying to favor the idea of stewardship over the idea of dominion of the environment, which is contrary to how feelings have been in the past. Perhaps this is correlated to the change in view of the wilderness being frightening to the wilderness becoming a beautiful escape from society?