Skift Take
European regulatory agencies are increasingly cracking down on airline ads that claim they have a positive environmental impact.
“Committed to protecting the environment: travel better and sustainably.” “Fly more sustainably.” “Environmental Advocacy.”
These are some of the phrases in Google advertisements by Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad that got them banned by the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority.
In three rulings Wednesday, the ASA found that the airlines had given “a misleading impression” of their environmental impact.
Etihad’s ad juxtaposed the phrase “total peace of mind” with “environmental advocacy,” which caught the eye of the U.K. advertising watchdog.
“We had not seen any evidence that they were engaged in such advocacy, or that they actively worked to protect the environment in a way that meant consumers could use their services with ‘Total Peace Of Mind’ with regard to the environmental impact of doing so,” the ASA said in its ruling.
Lufthansa’s ad high