This anti-greenwashing ad only got better after LinkedIn found it offensive
Glimpse’s video, attacking influencers who endorse oil companies, might be even more impactful in the edited version
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Following a recent report that oil and gas companies such as Shell and BP are using U.K. influencers to soften their image with the public, activist collective Glimpse responded with an entertaining parody of such efforts—featuring a fake influencer whose pitch on behalf of Shell gets a little ... oily.
The video below was spearheaded by Lara Baxter and Alice Goodrich, a creative team at Anomaly London, and directed by Carys & Thor. It memorably contrasts the typical bright and sunny travel influencer with the darker practices, including greenwashing, that the energy industry is routinely accused of.
Glimpse posted the video across its socials, but soon received a message from LinkedIn, which said it was removing the video for being “offensive to good taste.” Normally this sort of ban comes as a disappointment, but for environmental activists, any twists and turns—even, or perhaps particularly, negative ones—tend to present just another opportunity for engagement.
“While Shell and BP are free to greenwash their polluting businesses on LinkedIn, grassroots activist groups aren’t free to show a little humor?” Glimpse founder James Turner asked on LinkedIn. “Heatwaves, floods, and 55-degree [130-degree Fahrenheit] days this summer. Undermining climate science since the 1970s. Making billions on the backs of our kids’ future. What’s more offensive to good taste?”
In its note communicating the ban, LinkedIn suggested editing the video to be more in line with its community standards. So, they did. See Glimpse’s revised version below, which is maybe even better than the original.
“Hi LinkedIn,” Goodrich wrote on the platform. We're sorry our oily ‘vomit’ upset you, we’ve made it all better now. Hope you like it 😇 x.”
The edited video, as of this writing, remains up on LinkedIn.
The Sally project is part of a larger Glimpse effort called Inside Job, which urges young creatives to use their skills to expose the dangers of high-carbon choices and promote a more sustainable future.
“Right now, too many of our finest young creatives, influencers, and communicators are being put to work selling unsustainable, high-carbon products and lifestyles that are driving us to destruction,” the group says. “This presents both a huge challenge, but maybe an even bigger opportunity. If you’re a young creative aged 18-30 and you’re interested in causing some mischief, join our Inside Job!”
