This One:

The issue of Greenwashing is a pervasive one within the Green movement. For every company legitimately attempting to create a more sustainable business model, there are twelve simply hopping on the bandwagon, and claiming "Green" because they now run their headquarters with 60% Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.

These companies are generally identifiable by the word "human" in their tagline; "human energy", "human element", "human power", "human human."

So when you come across an ad like this, what do you think?


A good message? Sure. Who doesn't think that burning less fuel would produce less smog, be healthier, and overall, impact the environment slightly less negatively? But does anyone actually believe that a company that's primary business philosophy is something along the lines of, "SELL MORE GAS" would really want people not using gas?

Me thinks not.

The concept presented by this ad delves into much more murky territory than your standard greenwashed commercial.

I mean, it's not like Chevron is coming out and saying,

"Here at Chevron, we believe in sustainable energy. We believe in operating in the most efficient way possible, and passing that efficiency on to the consumer. There is a limited amount of fossil fuel on this earth, and we want to use it as wisely as possible. So when our top scientists discovered that ordinary coral can be made into an additive that makes gasoline twice as efficient, we knew what we had to do.

That is why we have started harvesting the Great Barrier Reef, and infusing our gas with the rotting detritus of a dying ecosystem, all to make our gas more efficient for you. Because it's you that really matters.

Chevron. Human Energy"

Because that would be bad. If they were doing that, that would be bad.

But they're not, they're actually telling people to do something that they may not even believe in, or that (gasp!) might cost them precious monies!

The difference between this and a company actually putting forth a message of sustainability it actually believes in is minimal. If people are getting a valuable message, do the corporate motives behind it really matter?


It's not like gas is a commodity that people choose based on the quality of the advertisements. (Except for that INSANELY cool BP commercial with the mobile gas station inside the semi truck, that shit was DOPE.)

Note: Despite hours of searching, I couldn't find the commercial mentioned above anywhere online, and thus fell into a deep state of depression.

I've always gone to the gas station that is most convenient for me, I don't even know what company it is. My dad goes to Chevron, not because he cares about their "environmental practices," but because it's the cheapest gas within a reasonable distance to our house.

I would say most people operate on one of those two principles, so I doubt this ad will have much effect besides making people think, "Hmmmm..... Maybe I shouldn't drive to the corner store."