Key Takeaways
• A new three-minute animation exposes fossil fuel PR tactics borrowed from Big Tobacco.
• Filmmakers turned scenes from a comedy film to reveal the industry’s greenwashing schemes.
• Health groups call on PR and ad agencies to refuse fossil fuel contracts.
• Over 2,700 creatives and 1,500 agencies have pledged to drop fossil fuel work.
• Campaigners urge clear conflict-of-interest rules at the next UN climate summit.
Fossil Fuel PR Exposed: Big Oil’s Smoky Secrets
With less than a month to go until the next United Nations climate summit, a new short film has exploded online. It shows how fossil fuel PR borrows old tricks from Big Tobacco. In under three minutes, the animation lays bare the ways oil and gas companies hide their damage. It also calls on PR and advertising agencies to refuse future work for polluters.
The Hidden Power of Fossil Fuel PR
Fossil fuel PR hides the harm done by coal, oil, and gas. It spins facts, downplays danger, and delays action on climate change. In the past, tobacco firms used ads and lobbyists to keep people smoking. Now, Big Oil hires top agencies to greenwash its image. By casting doubt on science, polluters protect their profits. They fuel our cars and heat our homes. Yet they also burn away the future of life on Earth.
From Big Tobacco to Big Oil
In the 1950s, tobacco companies denied smoking caused cancer. They hired public relations experts to manipulate public opinion. They funded misleading studies and censored critics. Today, the fossil fuel industry repeats that playbook. It funded false research, suppressed warnings, and paid for friendly media. In fact, many scientists warned about climate risks decades ago. Fossil fuel PR stalled reforms, weakened regulations, and divided communities.
The Animation That Calls Them Out
Filmmakers Daniel Bird and Adam Levy created The Well-Oiled Plan. They worked with the Global Climate and Health Alliance, a group of over 200 health and civil society organizations. The short borrows scenes from My Pet Footprint, a comedy film in progress with Greenpeace. That feature film uses dark humor to explore climate grief. For the new animation, actors play versions of the fossil fuel PR machine. Comedians Cody Dahler and Michael Spicer lead the cast along with Jaylah Moore-Ross and Sinead Phelps.
Bird explains that his film draws a straight line from individual smoking to an industrial process. He says polluters now use a more sophisticated PR machine than tobacco ever did. Meanwhile, audiences see how cunning messages shape public views on climate science. The animation asks viewers to imagine a world where conscience is removable. It suggests that oil companies lack any moral compass when profits outweigh life itself.
Campaigns Fighting Fossil Fuel PR
Since a landmark exposé a decade ago revealed internal memos from a major oil firm, more journalism and lawsuits have shone light on industry deception. In 2020, Fossil Free Media launched the Clean Creatives project. It targets PR and ad agencies serving Big Oil. So far, 2,700 creatives and 1,500 agencies have signed a pledge to refuse fossil fuel PR contracts. Despite that progress, many polluters still pour money into ads and PR from willing firms.
The Global Climate and Health Alliance released a report on the health toll of coal, oil, and gas. It documents disease and death at every stage of the fossil fuel lifecycle. Campaign lead Shweta Narayan warns that companies spend millions on PR to hide pollution and illness. She urges agencies to adopt fossil-free contracts. In her words, firms cannot claim to champion sustainability while greenwashing polluters and delaying policy.
A Call for Fossil-Free Contracts
The animation backs a clear demand: PR and advertising agencies must cut ties with fossil fuel clients. Narayan says agencies must disclose all fossil fuel work and ensure they do not block the shift to clean energy. She notes that many PR firms spread climate disinformation while also advising health groups. That conflict of interest risks public well-being.
Clean Creatives executive director Duncan Meisel adds that health organizations must avoid agencies with fossil fuel clients. He stresses that coal, oil, and gas contribute to long-term illness and early death. Agencies that help sell these products cannot promote public health. He also points out that health groups can harness their buying power to accelerate the marketing industry’s exit from fossil fuels.
Looking Ahead to the UN Climate Summit
Brazil will host the next UN Climate Change Conference. Hundreds of organizations, including the Global Climate and Health Alliance, call on Brazil to set clear rules. They want a red line drawn around corporate influence. They argue that no PR or advertising firm serving Big Oil should shape the story of the climate talks.
Jeni Miller, executive director of the health alliance, urges the UN framework to adopt conflict-of-interest rules and ethical procurement standards. She reminds us how health experts once stood up to Big Tobacco. Now, she says, it’s time to stand up to Big Oil and its fossil fuel PR machine.
Conclusion
As global leaders prepare for the climate summit, the fight against fossil fuel PR is growing. A powerful new animation strips away the spin, exposing how oil and gas firms borrow old tobacco tricks. At the same time, creative professionals and health advocates pledge to end industry greenwashing. Their goal is clear: no more fossil fuel PR work and a fast transition to clean energy. With public pressure rising, the next climate talks could mark a turning point against Big Oil’s smoky secrets.
FAQs
What exactly is fossil fuel PR?
Fossil fuel PR refers to efforts by coal, oil, and gas companies to shape public opinion. They hire public relations and advertising agencies to downplay environmental damage. This work often delays climate action and confuses communities about fossil fuel harm.
Why compare fossil fuel PR to Big Tobacco tactics?
Both industries used similar strategies: funding misleading research, blocking regulations, and crafting persuasive ads. Big Tobacco denied smoking’s risks for decades. Now, Big Oil tries to cast doubt on climate science and promote its own image.
How can agencies adopt fossil-free contracts?
Agencies can refuse to work for fossil fuel clients. They can also share a public list of all clients to ensure transparency. By doing so, they join thousands of creatives and agencies pledging not to greenwash polluters.
What changes do campaigners want at the UN climate summit?
Campaigners ask Brazil and the UN to ban PR and ad firms that work for fossil fuel clients from shaping summit communications. They seek clear conflict-of-interest rules and ethical procurement standards for all contractors.