The F-list 2024 by Comms Declare and Clean Creatives has labelled political spin doctors as the dirtiest part of Australia’s communications industry for the second year running.
Clemenger/Omnicom’s GRACosway has the most fossil fuel clients at eight, followed by SEC Newgate, Spring Street Advisory and WPP’s Purple, with six clients each.
The most marketed fossil fuel company was Ampol, with six agencies in Australia and five more in New Zealand where it trades as Z Energy.
Belinda Noble, founder of Comms Declare said: “The research has found that the halls of power are greased with oil, coal and gas, and public affairs companies with strong links to governments are continuing to do the bidding of our largest climate polluters.
“Climate polluters will insist that they are just maintaining market share or trying to reach net zero. But look at Ampol, one of the biggest marketing spenders, with record petroleum sales that increased 17% since 2022.”
The number of Australian agencies has fallen from 90 to 65 this year, in part because of a more rigorous methodology and shorter time frame of two years used in partnership with US-based Clean Creatives.
The research incorporates over 30 new sources of data to reveal 1,010 contracts between 590 agencies and 332 fossil fuel clients in 70 countries between 2023 and 2024. Of these 1,010 contracts, 692 are new, and 318 have continued from the F-List 2023. A total of 551 contracts haven’t been reported before, making it the most comprehensive report on fossil fuel advertising and PR.
Clean Creatives’ 2024 methodology included searching agency websites, creative portfolios, LinkedIn’s ad library, PRCA and O’Dwyers agency directories, the OpenSecrets lobbying database, and more.
To ensure accuracy, each contract uncovered has at least three different sources. For the first time, public affairs firms, production agencies, retail marketing agencies, recruitment agencies, animation studios and OOH agencies have also been included in the total figure.
Duncan Meisel, executive director, Clean Creatives, said: “This is the most accurate report on the ad and PR agencies working for fossil fuel companies ever produced. We’ve incorporated over 30 new sources of data so that clients, employees, and business partners fully understand the risks of working with fossil fuel agencies.
“We are experiencing the hottest period in human history, and as extreme weather continues to spread, pressure will only grow on these firms to cut ties with the polluters pushing our planet to the brink.”
Earlier this year, the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, asked all governments and businesses to stop advertising the fossil fuel companies he describes as the ‘Godfathers of climate chaos’.
Comms Declare is calling on the agencies and individuals in the comms industry to heed Guterres’s warning, draw the line now, and divest themselves of fossil fuel clients.
See also: ‘Like a tobacco account on your CV’: Woolley and Noble on Shell creative pitch
F-list lowlights – Australia and New Zealand:
• Most polluting agency: GRACosway (Omnicom): eight fossil fuel clients.
• Most polluting marketing agency: Initiative (IPG) three fossil fuel clients
• Most self-promoting polluter: Ampol, six Australian agencies, five NZ agencies
• Agencies representing fossil fuel lobby groups: eight
• Australian agencies new to the list: six (BMF, Brookline Advisory, Buck, Nous, Special, Wahoo Advertising)
• Least improved: Crisis & Comms Co: three new fossil fuel clients (four overall)
• Australian agencies with a fossil fuel client in 2023/24: 65
• New Zealand agencies with fossil fuel clients: 14
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Top image: Belinda Noble