Written by Tom Deehan on Jun 22, 2017. Posted in General Interest

Cannes Lions 2017: AdGreen production forum tackles sustainability in advertising

AdGreen, the independent organisation determined to improve sustainability in advertising, took to the Vegaluna beach today for a panel discussion regarding the current environmental impact of the commercial productions.

Hosted by the initiative's founder, Jo Coombes, the panel consisted of Mike Day (Palma Pictures), Steffen Gentis (BBDO Group Germany) and Rodrigo Gameiro (Coca-Cola Brazil), allowing the conversation to include all aspects of the production process.

While recognising the initial difficulty in following environmentally friendly measures, Mike Day explained how Palma Pictures’ own sustainability methods only caused a temporary increase in expenditure before saving them money in the long run.

Steffan Gentis noted the practicality of preparation, detailing: “if you measure your environmental impact before a production, you have a better chance of ensuring sustainability.”

Rodrigo Gameiro added the need for clients to understand the importance of selling a brand, not just a product, and the positive public opinion that can come from being associated with environmentally friendly practices.

When asked what it meant for AdGreen to have a presence at Cannes Lions, Jo Coombes explained: “being here is really great because it means we can talk to people from different countries and also get perspectives from other people. We’ve seen a fantastic turnout for the forum today, which is great to see how many people are interested outside of just production companies. If the interest continues then we’d love to come back next year."

As larger production companies begin to change their working habits, the conversation regarding our impact on the environment continues to grow. The BBC made the decision in late 2016 to ensure that all their future drama productions adhere to the sustainability standards laid out by the Albert initiative.