Bounced from the B Corp Bar
Today's issue is about the power of creativity, so let's jump right in.
This past week four advertising agencies owned by Havas, a global advertising holding company, got bounced from the B Corp bar for unruly behavior - guzzling too much petroleum from the client pump.
More specifically, these four agencies (Havas London, Havas Lemz, Havas New York, and Havas Immerse) were decertified as B Corps because of the parent company's proclivity for working with carbon producing clients, most significantly Shell Oil Company.
We first reported on this in February of this year (The Color of Money), after a group of more than 1,000 advertising agencies called Clean Creatives began pressuring B Lab to decertify the Havas agencies. (My agency, Oliver Russell, belongs to Clean Creatives.)
B Lab is the nonprofit that oversees B Corporation certification, an assessment of a company's social and environmental impact. Clean Creatives is a movement of advertising, PR, marketing, and other creative professionals cutting their ties to the fossil fuels industry.
B Lab conducted a lengthy and formal review of the Havas agencies and concluded they had breached core values of the B Corp community. The Havas agencies were given an opportunity to remediate the situation, but rejected this avenue.
“While the Certified B Corps are not directly involved in providing services to the client, Havas’ structure and use of a common brand name across some of its agencies means that the entire group is ultimately required to earn certification, per B Lab rules; this places the group’s actions in scope for this investigation,” said B Lab in a statement.
There have been other challenging issues with companies cloaking themselves by certifying as B Corps – the Nespresso imbroglio comes to mind, as well as five additional B Corp agencies outed by Clean Creatives for their work with carbon clients. It's encouraging that when push comes to shove, as in this case and a prior example with the greenwashing of BrewDog, that B Lab puts teeth into this certification and isn't afraid to make hard decisions. Bites of this nature deserve to be a bit painful, don't you think?
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
💬 Quote of the Week
"Creativity is the language we use to communicate the urgency of our dreams for a better future." Audre Lorde
💥 Quick Hits
• Creative under fire – I'm totally in for this, a free survival guide from Creative Under Fire for creative people on staying sane while solving the world’s insane problems. Via our friends at BrightVibes.
• The F List – Wondering if your ad agency flunks the carbon test? Check out The F List for agencies working with fossil fuels clients, from Clean Creatives.
• Readers respond to beer issue – In response to last week's issue featuring beer labeling, reader Katie Carano sent us a link to a new 1% for the Planet member, Roses by the Stairs, as one of her fave breweries (love that brand name!). Markus Kessler sent us photos of beers (only organic, glass bottles - no cans, with 8 cents deposit to encourage recycling – nice labels, too!) sold in his organic grocery shop in Munich, Germany. 🍻
Find the Most Meaningful Work of Your Career
Our partner One Work has you covered with meaningful work that goes beyond a paycheck, a cubicle, or a weekly team Zoom call. You'll find purposeful jobs like those below, along with many more at the One Work job board.
• Opus - Ready to create your professional opus? Why not make it worthwhile at this developer of employee training solutions built specifically for frontline workers, particularly those who don't have access to a computer or speak different languages. Senior Product Designer, New York City, NY.
• Mursion - This week's job ops are heavy on the learning side of things. Here's a chance to jump in and immerse yourself with a post at this provider of immersive learning for the workplace. Senior Director, Digital Marketing, REMOTE.
• Masimo - How many times do you get the opportunity to ply your talent at a company that's been named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for 2024? Here's your shot to help scale its non-invasive, healthcare monitoring technology. Hospital Account Representative, Portland, OR.
We love your feedback. Seriously! Send your thoughts and ideas just by replying to this email. See you next week.