2007

Bloomin' marvellous
1 May 2007

Friends of the Earth has filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority about a Shell advert.

The advert shows a refinery with flowers coming out of the chimneys, not smoke.

An oil refinery emitting flowers not smoke in Shell's advert

The advert is very misleading, and insulting to the communities who live next to Shell's operations.

Simultaneous complaints have been made in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Friends of the Earth is objecting to the messages and imagery used in the advert.

Don't throw it all away, there is no away
Key message of Shell's advert

The implication that Shell carries out its operations in line with the above statement is shameful.

Shell's advert is also misleading because it suggests that Shell uses all of its waste carbon dioxide to grow flowers.

At a refinery in the Netherlands, Shell pipes carbon dioxide into greenhouses, saving 325,000 tonnes a year.

This is 0.325% of Shell's total direct carbon dioxide emissions from its operations.

Shell is one of the world's dirtiest companies. People around the world are suffering from the effects of Shell's pollution.

Shell should spend money cleaning up its mess, not on deceiving the public with expensive, dishonest adverts.

Hannah Griffiths, Friends of the Earth Corporates Campaigner

Friends of the Earth is calling for the adverts to be immediately withdrawn.

It is also requesting that Shell publishes a correction to the audiences that saw the advert.