Best Earth Day Ad Inspiration

Shoppers increasingly seek out brands with sustainable practices and Earth Day is a great opportunity for brands to raise awareness, educate, and engage consumers in their efforts to promote a more sustainable future.

The Best Earth Day Ads

First inaugurated as a way to force environmental protections into the national conversation in 1970, Earth Day is now internationally recognized as a day to celebrate Mother Earth and raise awareness about sustainability across the board.

But green initiatives aren’t on shoppers’ minds just once a year: customers are now demanding sound ecological stewardship from the brands they support at an exponential rate. Savvy marketers are responding to these demands and using Earth Day as an opportunity to showcase their commitment to green practices and encourage consumers to take action.

From promoting eco-friendly products to partnering with environmental organizations, calling out greenwashing or reminding us that Earth Day should be every day, brands are finding early success connecting meaningfully with their audiences thanks on the biggest screen in the household - television. Have a look at 5 great examples!

Together we can turn this around

For Earth Day in 2021, Budweiser chose to highlight their goal of brewing every Budweiser with 100% renewable energy by 2025. The ad reels viewers in attention with dark, ominous visuals and an unsettling voice-over, implying it might already be too late for the planet. It promptly switches gears, however, and ends on an encouraging scene and reassuring voice-over, urging viewers to work together on the future of our planet, with an especially marked appeal to Gen Z viewers.

Every Drop Counts

This very simple but hilarious ad shows professional swimmer Michael Phelps brushing his teeth! While the premise may seem simple, Colgate intelligently developed this ad to position themselves as authoritative champions for everyday sustainability: while viewers are encouraged to reduce their water usage, the one thing they are encouraged to increase, is their loyalty to Colgate and what it stands for.

For tomorrow we won’t wait

For this ad, Hyundai collaborated with the über famous South Korean boy band BTS, again making a clear play for Gen Z engagement. At a high level, it promotes immediate action to make a positive impact on the environment rather than waiting for tomorrow and leaving the cleanup to someone else, but more importantly for Hyundai, it serves as any good marketing call-to-action would: calling on shoppers to work with Hyundai now. If BTS sings it, we definitely need to do it.

The fish

This ad by another beloved beverage brand - Corona -  raises awareness about plastic waste in the ocean and the harm it causes to animals and ourselves. This type of ad ensures a brand remains top of mind and relevant to ongoing cultural concerns. It visually engages the viewer and effectively communicates an important message about marine plastic pollution, while cleverly urging viewers to visit a website which will further move them down the customer funnel.

Stop the wash

Finally, Really Good Culture, formerly Wherefrom, is a company committed to supporting sustainable practices year-round by thoroughly vetting sustainability claims by other brands.

Despite the serious topic, their “Stop the Wash” campaign engages viewers in a creative, humorous, and entertaining way. By calling out phony taglines, it positions itself as an authentic brand committed to cultural change and action.