An ad campaign by Etihad Airways trumpeting its approach to “sustainable aviation” has been banned by the UK advertising watchdog, which ruled it was misleading consumers over the environmental impact of flying.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier, which has an extensive marketing strategy that includes sponsorship of Manchester City Premier League team including stadium naming rights, ran two Facebook adverts promoting its green credentials.
Acknowledging the impact flying has on the environment, the ads promoted the airline’s “louder, bolder approach to sustainable aviation”, including pushing the idea that choosing Etihad was a “conscious choice for the planet” and promoting initiatives such as cutting back on single-use plastic cutlery.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) began an investigation into the campaign – which used imagery including plants, the Earth and text stating Etihad was “Environmental airline of the year 2022” – over concerns its claims were misleading by “exaggerating the environmental benefits of flying” with the airline.
Etihad said that its claim regarding sustainable aviation would not be seen as an “absolute solution” to the environmental impact of flying, but understood that it was a “long-term and multifaceted process” with an aspiration to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The airline said its approach also included a restructure of its fleet to use modern, fuel-efficient aircraft and the development of “sustainable aviation fuel production” in the UAE.
However, the ASA said that, under UK marketing regulations, absolute environmental claims such as “sustainable aviation” must be backed up by a high level of evidence.
“We noted steps were being taken by Etihad to reduce the environmental impact of its service,” said the ASA.
“[However], we understood that there were currently no initiatives or commercially viable technologies in operation within the aviation industry which would adequately substantiate an absolute green claim such as ‘sustainable aviation’ as we considered consumers would interpret it in this context,” ruled the ASA.
“We concluded, therefore, that the claim exaggerated the impact that flying with Etihad would have on the environment and the ads breached the [advertising] code.”
Etihad is the latest big brand to be called out by the ASA after a promise the watchdog made in September 2021 to crack down on unsubstantiated or misleading green claims by firms.
Last month, the ASA banned an ad campaign by the German airline Lufthansa which claimed that its green initiatives were protecting the world.
Last year, the ASA banned ad campaigns on the grounds of misleading environmental or green claims by companies including the alt-milk brand Oatly, the Pepsi-owned tea brand Lipton and Unilever’s Persil detergent.
Others brands that have faced ASA bans over climate claims in recent years include Ryanair, HSBC and the energy companies Esso and Shell.