Anti-Renewable Billboard Ad Pulled Under Pressure from Industry

A controversial anti-renewable advertisement funded by the right-wing group Advance has been removed from a billboard near Newcastle, Australia. Environmental activists are now calling for tighter regulations on "out of home" (OOH) advertising in the country.

The Controversial Advertisement

The ad, titled "Renewables cost the earth" and featuring the phrase "dollars and destruction," gained significant attention from advertising industry executives and activists, especially on LinkedIn. In response to the backlash, the billboard owner, oOH!Media, announced the removal of the advertisement.

Activists' Reactions and Concerns

Mike Spirkovski, a former chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and current head of Rethink Everything, expressed his shock and disbelief at the ad's message, especially considering its location on a construction site in the heart of the coal industry.

“This billboard, which criticizes the environmental impact of renewables, stands in the middle of a massive construction site spanning floodplains and farmlands in Tarro, NSW, near the old Oak factory at Hexham,” Spirkovski shared on LinkedIn. “This is part of the M1 freeway extension, a project that has required extensive land clearing. The irony is hard to miss.”

He pointed out that the location of the billboard was near the Hunter Valley, one of New South Wales' major coal mining regions, where large-scale open-cut coal mining has had significant environmental impacts.

Response from oOH!Media

His post resonated with many activists and professionals who echoed concerns over the ad's misleading message and its placement. James Greet, co-founder of the Payback Project, directed his frustration toward oOH!Media, questioning why the company had accepted the ad in the first place.

“My question to oOH is ‘why are you accepting this’?” Greet wrote. “As a founding member of Ad Net Zero, you’ll know that reducing emissions through cleaner energy usage is an essential pillar of climate action, and renewables are central to this.”

oOH!Media responded within hours, thanking Greet for bringing the matter to their attention and explaining that, although the company provides an open platform for advertising that complies with content regulations, they had decided to remove the ad following an internal review.

"Given our business’ strong commitment to sustainability and reducing our operational impact on the planet, oOH! has now removed this advertisement,” oOH!Media said in their statement.

The Role of Advance and Political Influence

Advance, formerly known as Advance Australia, was established in 2018 and has a history of opposing net-zero policies, climate change action, and other left-wing causes. The group is reportedly linked to the Liberal Party and suspected of having financial ties to the fossil fuel industry.

Push for Stricter Regulations on Fossil Fuel Advertising

Belinda Noble, founder and president of Comms Declare, a group advocating for clearer rules on political advertising, said the incident highlighted a significant issue with third-party political ads often slipping through legal gaps. She also pointed out that a Senate inquiry into the claims of the fossil fuel industry, including coal, gas, and oil companies, has yet to issue recommendations.

“It shouldn’t be left up to billboard owners to decide what is true and what isn’t,” Noble told Renew Economy. “This leaves media companies in the difficult position of having to vet content in an increasingly politically charged environment.”

Comms Declare is now pushing for a tobacco-style ban on all fossil fuel advertising, citing the health and climate impacts of these industries. Noble also noted that 18 Australian jurisdictions, including the ACT and City of Sydney, have already imposed restrictions on fossil fuel advertisements on their properties.

The Growing Debate on Political Advertising

This controversy brings to light the complexities of political advertising in the modern age, particularly when it comes to misinformation and its potential environmental consequences. As activists continue to advocate for greater scrutiny and regulation, the conversation around the role of OOH advertising in promoting such content is likely to intensify.

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