Is humor the solution to "greentimidation?"

 

Schick has introduced a hybrid bamboo razor as part of its goal to be fully sustainable by 2030.  The handle is bamboo, the steel blades are made from 75% recycled material, and the packaging is 100% recyclable paperboard. (Clark, 2022)

 

Schick believes that small changes matter, and that there is merit in encouraging consumers to change their routines in order to be kinder to the environment.  (Mahoney, 2022)

 

But at the same time they are realistic about the fact that switching to more sustainable products and habits can be intimidating amid widespread wokeness and green-shaming - hence the term "greentimidation."

 

Enter Beth Behrs portraying someone who has gone way over the top in greening her personal care routine.  The spot is running on Instagram and Twitter.  

Links here...

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcQUAJ9FBsR/

 

https://twitter.com/BethBehrs/status/1513954349046665220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

 

Although Schick's parent company has similar long term goals for their brands as does Grove Collaborative, which we discussed last week, they have chosen to use humor to engage, while Grove has employed scare tactics that could backfire and result in less recycling among casual viewers. 

 

How do you feel about these different approaches.  Which makes you more likely to comply - humor or fear?  Would it impact your overall view of the company?  Would it make you more or less likely to buy their other products?

 

As we have discussed, not all humor is persuasive.  Does the humor used here work?  Why or why not?  

 

Finally, although Schick has a decidedly male heritage they have chosen to target women in this campaign.  Do you think that is a good strategy?  Why or why not?

 

 

Clark, K. (2022, April 12)  Schick and Beth Behrs mock sustainability-splainers in ad for new eco-friendly razor.  thedrum.com.  Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/04/12/schick-and-beth-behrs-mock-sustainability-splainers-ad-new-sustainable-razor

 

Mahoney, S. (2022, April 12)  Schick Tackles 'Greentimidation' With New Bamboo Razor.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 25, 2022, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/372942/schick-tackles-greentimidation-with-new-bamboo-r.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=125954&hashid=Pumyb0Zq27pukAWPYSxcJWfpafM

 

Will Drew Barrymore convince Millennials not to recycle?

 

Drew Barrymore has become an investor and celebrity spokesperson for Grove Collaborative.  Grove's products include refillable glass bottles, Seventh Generation and Tom's of Maine. 

 

Grove says their mission is to "shed light on the severity of the plastic crisis."  Good for them.  But last time I looked, Seventh Generation products come in plastic containers.  So I checked the website.  They claim that their products are "plastic neutral."  What?

 

Research has shown that just the presence of a salad item on a menu leads to people ordering higher calorie options.  It's not dissimilar to people who take a daily multivitamin choosing to eat less healthy foods.  It's like one cancels out the other.

 

We are always on the lookout for opportunities to justify less than ideal actions so that we can continue to engage in them.

 

The Grove Collective website also says that they will be 100% plastic free by 2025.  So if the "plastic neutral" claim didn't work for you, you can choose to continue using plastic guilt-free until 2025 based on this promise.

 

I am all in favor of moving from plastic back to glass.  Glass is the easiest substance to recycle.  Unfortunately with most recycling bins being multi-product the glass tends to break and doesn't get recycled.  So I think this is an admirable goal.

 

But what concerns me even more than the fact that they are pedaling false equivalences which give people permission to continue to use plastic is that their ads, breaking later this month, encourage people not to recycle!  Apparently, they point out that only 9% of the plastic people set aside gets recycled.  (Mahoney, 2022)

 

While this may be true, shouldn't they as part of their green mission be working on increasing this percentage?  I wonder how many of their plastic neutral containers use 1,2 and 5 plastics which can be easily recycled?  Of course, they do throw the word sustainable around quite a bit on their website.

 

https://www.grove.co/

 

Someone recently informed me that it was ok to not wear masks because masks don't work.  Well according to EPA testing, even the flimsiest single layer masks give you ~25% protection.  But people don't want to wear masks, so they seek out information that tells them they don't have to. (EPA, 2021)

 

Do you think that the same thing will happen here?  Will people hear that only 9% of plastic gets recycled and use that as an excuse to recycle less?  Does a company being "plastic neutral" matter to you?  What about promises to be plastic free in the future?

 

How persuasive do you think Drew Barrymore is?  Do you buy celebrity endorsed products?  Which ones and why?

 

 

Mahoney, S. (2022, April 8)  Grove Collaborative Adds Drew Barrymore in Latest Growth Move.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/372841/grove-collaborative-adds-drew-barrymore-in-latest.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=125969&hashid=WJG6Pr0n-cKmmAEAvSYYIvL2MQA

 

EPA (2021, April 5)  EPA Researchers Test Effectiveness of Facemasks, Disinfection Methods Against Covid-19. epa.gov.  Retrieved April 19, 2022, from  https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/epa-researchers-test-effectiveness-face-masks-disinfection-methods-against-covid-19