Carbon Labelling: Why Not?

Client: Oatly

Oatly is calling for transparent labelling to be mandatory across the food and drink industry. Achieving new legislation is a longer-term goal for the next government, but Oatly wanted to establish leadership on the issue and earn a seat at the policy table.

The client said, “Our ideal outcome would be a headline in an influential media title that says something like, ‘Oatly’s annoying, but they’ve got a point’.” Well, the Blurred team took that on board, as you’ll see. Oatly the brand is known for guerrilla stunts. Our strategy was to evolve this perception in the minds of policymakers and influencers – positioning the company as a science-based grown-up-in-the-room, keen to inform policy for the public good – without compromising Oatly’s brand in the eyes of customers. A delicate balance! The integrated campaign activation included a provocative billboard challenging Big Dairy to reveal its own carbon footprint (with Oatly offering to pay for the advertising space!) and a bold Ask Me Anything on Reddit. But also a Grey Paper (like a white paper, but not - because Public-Affairs-Oatly recognises the climate labelling issue is not black-and-white) that made a “logical, not ideological” argument for carbon labelling for the entire food and drink industry. An argument that couldn’t be argued with, as it was based in irrefutable science and crystal-clear logic. Climate Labelling: Why Not? was just the start of a campaign that will continue through 2024 with an aim to achieving policy change by the next government.