Greenpeace in its effort to bring attention to Mattel’s use of rogue paper companies in Sumatra hangs a banner on one of their buildings (they also bring in a barbie look alike). The paper company in Sumatra destroys tiger habitat and is big into deforestation.
Let’s join Greenpeace’s effort to discourage Mattel from using this brand of paper. You don’t have to agree with all of Greenpeace’s philosophy. This is a good fight.
James Pilant
Barbie gets dumped as part of a new campaign by Greenpeace targeting the toy industry for its connections to deforestation in Indonesia.
SHE is more likely to be cruising yards in a pink convertible, plucking an item from her glamorous wardrobe or generally enjoying the lifestyle afforded an international fashion icon.
Up until now Barbie has yet to be seen with a chainsaw, hacking her way through pristine rainforests.
But a Greenpeace campaign is seeking to do exactly that as part of a global campaign to highlight the destruction of rainforests for pulp paper used in the toy’s cardboard packaging.
This is just too much fun but the comedy doesn’t end here. Here is Mattel’s response –
A letter from Mattel’s director of corporate responsibility Kathleen Shaver, which Greenpeace showed to the smh.com.au, said it was “advancing its sustainability strategy” by printing its catalogues on paper with a minimum of 10 per cent of recyclable materials and that its annual report and office paper was printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Mattel has faield to return emails from Farifax but a spokeswoman for APP said met all the legal requirements for logging in Indonesia and called upon Greenpeace to make public its analysis.
“Greenpeace may think citing popular children’s toys is a cute way to get attention for its extreme position. However, we believe it’s irresponsible to play on the emotions of children and their parents to rehash old, discredited allegations in order to attack the industry of a developing nation,” she said.
Wow, looks like Greenpeace hit a nerve. Apparently all that PR training can’t conceal a little arrogance about the “industry of a developing nation.”
James Pilant
This is delicious. This campaign is clever and fun. It shows how corporate PR and the billions spent on advertising and brand recognition can be turned against the company.
As time goes by, this kind of clever anti-marketing is going to become a necessity as corporate power in the government increases. More and more it will be necessary to turn the company’s power against it. It’s very much like judo.
James Pilant
Pilant's Business Ethics Blog 