palm oil:
noun
In the UK there is a big push to win the award for most talked about Christmas advert. This year there is no doubt that this is going to Iceland for their tear jerking story of a baby orangutan and it’s interactions with a little girl.
This advert was banned for being “too political”. Part of me is having a hard time wondering why? Iceland was the first major UK supermarket to do away with palm oil in all of their product lines completely. This was a highly publicised and talked about event and was considered a win for the environment. This advert is a carryover of Iceland’s commitment to use it’s powers of influence as a home brand to make the world a better place.
This advert hits home for my recent decisions to stop using palm oil in my home for the very reason Iceland is. This is a fantastic work of design and direction that tugs the heart strings and drives home how important it is that we as consumers really need to take a pragmatic look at our consumption habits. Have a watch, and share the video if it connects with you. Below is a few more resources and facts about palm oil and why you should be concerned.
The advert:
While this is a clever and perfectly designed advert to make the viewer have an emotional reaction, do a bit more digging yourself and become an informed consumer. The advert was produced in a partnership between Greenpeace and Iceland.
Some more information:
Indonesia halts new palm oil plantation development
A handy list of products that contain palm oil provided by the World Wildlife Fund