With the Imperative of Climate Change, Creative Education Must Evolve

The ad industry needs to reckon with its role in destructive consumerism

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Advertising education was once perversely simple. Developing talent meant wrangling students to good print ideas, maybe a storyboard, then tissues, feedback, more feedback, comps, printing, foamcore. The goal was: How can we make work that sells while looking clever at the same time? Sublimely naïve, sadly irresponsible in hindsight.

As in most of 21st century life, things have evolved. I’ve been teaching advertising and creativity for many years and still love developing great creative talent, but we’ve entered a new world. The social contract of teaching and learning changed with social media, then was radicalized by the pandemic and social injustice. The subsequent evolution of what advertising is and how we address the world is a reality for all stakeholders involved.

For starters, students bring a whole new level of messaging sophistication into their first year, along with a resounding need to understand the basics of the craft. The crux of ad education now is this: When late-stage capitalism meets failing social systems, we have a responsibility to address our part.

This is not a purpose rant. Brand purpose is a good conversation with lofty goals. Instead, this is about the heavy burden we all face amid the climate emergency.

Rising carbon emissions underscore all sectors that advertising serves: public health, transportation, industry, housing, insurance, agriculture. The 2022 U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report argues straightforwardly that we must stabilize the climate by cutting global carbon emissions by 43% by 2030.

Moreover, consumers are listening. According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, the proportion of the U.S. population who are “alarmed” about climate change has more than doubled in the last five years.

Given the stakes, our industry must ask: What responsibility does advertising hold for supporting unyielding consumerism leading to carbon emissions? From my perspective, advertising education plays an immense role in assuring a reasonable future for all of us. To do that, here’s what we as educators need to do.

The Stop Fossil Fuel movement

Educate yourself and your students on how advertising agencies live on both the good and bad sides of this issue. Understand the irreparable harm done by fossil fuels and, as a matter of process, by the agencies that continue to support them with strategies about fossil fuel companies’ vision of the future.

Reassure students there are agencies, leaders and brands working to implement clean energy strategies. If a new generation of talent understands the fossil fuel bottom line and refuses to be a party to it, we change the narrative.

Teach the inherent evil of greenwashing

Is there a place to study the truth of greenwashing in a portfolio class or a strategy seminar? Absolutely.

Recent research shows more incidences of greenwashing and disinformation entering the public sphere through advertising, and consumers being skeptical of these lies and half-lies. By training students to identify greenwashing tactics and how to avoid them, we raise the value of brand messages.

Reinvent courses and assignments for 2022 relevance

To truly prepare students for the future, ad programs should provide training on sustainability across disciplines. As much as advertising educators might push back, science communication is a form of creative literacy.

Design and production students need to understand sustainability practices. Writers should be trained on crafting copy that plainly conveys scientific facts. Account managers must understand how to help clients come to grips with the brand’s need to be environmentally responsible.

Recognize young talent has changed

Gone are the glittery days of manifesting working at an agency simply because it is kickass. Young talent are demanding a better approach to issues of social equity and the best of what a creative workplace can be. They want to solve problems that aren’t couched solely in selling. They generally don’t want to be part of “we’ll take anyone’s call” culture. Agencies and brands must bend toward the best talent and how they work.

A new profile of public intellectuals

Too often, advertising professionals have shrugged off criticism with the old standby, “it’s only advertising.” Others use the currency of leadership to address the world, and we should identify and honor them.

Consider what Kat Gordon and her 3% Conference did to address the treatment of women in the industry, or what Keni Thacker invented in establishing the powerful 100 Roses From Concrete. Learn from Futerra founder and chief solutionist Solitaire Townsend, who embraces great creativity as she calls truth to power on climate issues. Know Kevin Tuerff, who’s dedicated his career to building agency models and communication processes around sustainability.

Put those people and their stories—and a robust list of others like them—in front of your students to inspire them.

Summer is the time when educators revamp classes, take stock of what we teach and how it’s working. We hold such immense power in the world. It’s time to address the climate emergency in the advertising classroom.