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, Japanese society was beginning to place the keyword "environment" at the center of corporate strategy. During the economic downturn following the bursting of the bubble economy, consumers were becoming more sensitive to corporate stance and social responsibility than to mere price and quality. At the same time, the 1997 Kyoto Conference (COP3) provided an international framework for the prevention of global warming, and environmental initiatives became an unavoidable theme for companies. During this period, corporate advertising expressions also changed, and "environmental advertising," which pushed the environment to the forefront, began to attract attention.

In discussions at the time, it was stated that "environmental advertising is positioned as part of an environmentally oriented management strategy" and that corporate public relations activities and social responsibility were superimposed on each other. For example, an advertising expert pointed out that "corporate environmental advertising is not mere publicity, but a message that presents the company's management stance to the world," to which a corporate representative responded, "Advertising is a forum for dialogue to gain consumer trust, and environmental considerations are becoming a prerequisite for that. The exchange, which seemed like a roundtable discussion in the magazine, reflected the tension between corporations and society at the time.

In fact, during this period, major home appliance and automobile manufacturers ran advertisements prominently promoting their environmental technologies and recycling efforts. Air conditioners and refrigerators emphasized the use of CFC-alternative refrigerants, and automobile advertisements used fuel-efficiency and reduced emissions as catchphrases. In addition, beverage makers put their "empty can recycling" efforts front and center, adopting a style that encouraged consumers to participate in the initiative. Advertisements repeatedly emphasized not only the functionality of the product, but also the message that the company is a global environmentally friendly company.

At the same time, however, there were concerns about "greenwashing" in this trend. If there is a discrepancy between the glamorous expressions in advertisements and actual corporate behavior, this will in turn lead to distrust by consumers. In the discussion, it was harshly pointed out that "environmental advertising should not be limited to corporate self-promotion; it will gain public trust only when it is accompanied by practical actions. The discussion was conducted in a tone that spoke to the readers, with one corporate representative responding, "It is meaningless unless the environmental response is promoted not only through advertising but also through the company's internal production and logistics systems.

In this way, environmental advertising went beyond a company's image strategy and became a touchstone for measuring the attitude of management. The magazine, with its mixture of consumer, expert, and corporate voices, realistically conveys the atmosphere of a transitional period in society in the late 1990s, when the environment and management were beginning to connect. The fact that the advertisements did not appeal one-sidedly, but rather took the form of a dialogue that asked society "What do you think?