The Age of Environmental Advertisements: The Contact Point between Management and Society, Late 1990s

The Age of Environmental Advertisements: The Contact Point between Management and Society, Late 1990s

In the late 1990s, the position of the "environment" in corporate management was undergoing a major shift in Japan. Companies were seeking to survive the recession that followed the bursting of the bubble economy, and they were under pressure to put social responsibility at the forefront, rather than simply competing on price. Then came the 1997 Kyoto Conference (COP3), where the prevention of global warming and the creation of a sustainable society were shared as international issues. Against this backdrop, a new trend in corporate advertising was born, and "environmental advertising," which put the environment at the forefront, appeared.

In a discussion at the time, it was emphasized that "environmental advertising is not mere publicity, but a management strategy itself. An advertising specialist said, "Advertising is a message that shows a company's stance to society, and environmental responsiveness has become an indispensable element," and a corporate representative responded, "Consumers are measuring a company's sincerity through advertising. The magazine unfolded like a roundtable discussion, with the voices of experts and companies intermingling.

Specifically, major home appliance manufacturers put forward refrigerators and air conditioners that use CFC-substitute refrigerants, while automobile manufacturers used fuel-efficient and emission-reducing products as catchphrases. Beverage makers showed their commitment to encourage consumers to "participate" by launching advertisements appealing for recycling. Advertisements became a means of conveying the message that the company is a global environmentally friendly company, rather than simply introducing products.

On the other hand, there were also warnings against "greenwashing" without any actual results. There was a strong sentiment that "environmental advertisements must be accompanied by actual practices or they will lose the trust of consumers," and the companies themselves acknowledged that "environmental measures, including internal systems and logistics, are indispensable. Advertising was changing from a one-way appeal to society to a form of dialogue that asked, "What do you think? Environmental advertising reflected the spirit of the times in the late 1990s as a new point of contact between management and society.