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PR Tactics of Fossil Fuel Industry Exposed in Satirical Animation
A new satirical animation titled “The Well-Oiled Plan” has been released, exposing the public relations strategies employed by the fossil fuel industry. Created by Daniel Bird and Adam Levy at Wit & Wisdom in collaboration with the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), the 2-minute 38-second film features a revealing conversation between a PR executive named Tony and his client, the CEO of fictional “Grunt Oil.”
The animation, which stars internet comedians Michael Spicer and Cody Dahler alongside actors Sinead Phelps and Jaylah Moore-Ross, draws parallels between the PR tactics used by fossil fuel companies today and those historically employed by Big Tobacco—namely, marketing harmful products under the guise of personal freedom.
“Fossil fuels are making people sick—and the companies behind them are spending millions on advertising and PR to cover it up,” said Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance. The GCHA represents more than 200 health professional and civil society organizations worldwide focused on addressing climate change.
The animation is a spin-off from “My Pet Footprint,” a feature-length comedy about climate grief currently in development with Greenpeace’s cooperation. Daniel Bird, the film’s director, explained the concept: “My Pet Footprint plays with the idea that consciences are removable. Decades ago, the fossil fuel industry decided business as usual was worth any price, and it takes an incredible deficit of conscience when that price is the demise of civilisation.”
According to Clean Creatives, a movement working to sever ties between creative professionals and fossil fuel companies, the top 29 fossil fuel corporations collectively spend approximately $7 billion annually on PR, media, and advertising efforts.
“Health organisations should not be hiring agencies with fossil fuel clients,” argued Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives. “The fossil fuel industry is one of the leading causes of long-term illness and premature death worldwide, and agencies that help sell coal, oil, or gas products have a conflict of interest when it comes to organisations and companies that promote public health.”
Since May 2023, 77 health organizations have joined the “Break the Fossil Influence – Fossil-Free Health Communications” campaign, pledging to end working relationships with PR and advertising agencies that simultaneously serve fossil fuel industry clients.
The release of “The Well-Oiled Plan” follows GCHA’s publication of “Cradle to Grave: The Health Toll of Fossil Fuels and the Imperative for a Just Transition,” the first comprehensive global overview examining the health consequences of fossil fuel use throughout its production cycle and across all stages of human life.
In August, the GCHA criticized the hiring of Edelman—Shell’s global PR firm—by Brazil’s COP30 presidency. The alliance has called on countries competing to host COP31 to pledge against fossil fuel sponsorships and communications partnerships.
More recently, over 225 organizations including the GCHA have urged Brazil to prevent fossil fuel industry influence at the COP30 climate summit. In response to mounting pressure, the UNFCCC has begun implementing changes, with its COP30 Observer Handbook released on September 15 requiring “greater disclosure of who is being allowed to participate in the shaping and guiding of the global response to climate change.”
“It’s time for the UNFCCC to draw a red line: no PR or advertising firms that continue to work for fossil fuel companies should be allowed to shape the story of the COP or the climate crisis,” said Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the GCHA. She called for clear conflict-of-interest rules and ethical procurement standards for all communications contractors, similar to the World Health Organization’s framework for tobacco control.
Miller emphasized that the decades-long lack of progress on climate action is “the result of deliberate, years-long efforts by the fossil fuel industry, with the help of PR agencies, to sow doubt, influence decision makers, and greenwash their own efforts.”
While acknowledging recent transparency improvements, Miller concluded: “Just as the health community once stood up to Big Tobacco and its advertising, now it’s time to stand up to Big Oil.”
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12 Comments
Kudos to the creators for shining a light on the fossil fuel industry’s deceptive tactics. It’s important that the public understands how they’ve been trying to mislead us about the true costs of their products.
Absolutely. Greater transparency around the industry’s PR playbook is crucial, especially as the world grapples with the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels.
Interesting look at the fossil fuel industry’s disinformation tactics. Glad to see more attention being drawn to their misleading PR efforts. Hope this helps raise awareness of the health and environmental impacts of their products.
Absolutely, transparency around these deceptive industry practices is crucial. It’s good to see organizations calling them out and using creative means to expose the truth.
This animation seems like a clever way to shine a light on the fossil fuel industry’s shady PR playbook. It’s worrying to see the parallels with Big Tobacco’s past tactics to downplay health risks.
Yes, the comparison to Big Tobacco is concerning. Fossil fuel companies appear to be using similar obfuscation and misdirection to protect their profits at the expense of public health and the environment.
The fossil fuel industry’s history of disinformation is deeply concerning. This animation offers a clever and accessible way to educate people about their manipulative tactics. It’s an important wake-up call.
Agreed, raising public awareness of these deceptive practices is a crucial first step. Hopefully this leads to greater accountability and a faster transition to clean energy solutions.
This satirical animation provides a compelling look at the fossil fuel industry’s shameful PR tactics. It’s alarming to see the parallels with Big Tobacco’s past efforts to downplay health risks. Transparency around these deceptive practices is vital.
Absolutely. The fossil fuel industry’s disinformation campaigns have delayed meaningful climate action for far too long. This kind of creative, impactful storytelling is essential to cut through the noise and hold them accountable.
I appreciate the creative approach to highlighting the fossil fuel industry’s disinformation campaigns. Satire can be an effective way to cut through the noise and expose their manipulative PR strategies.
Agreed, this type of satirical animation can really help drive the message home. Hopefully it inspires more people to scrutinize the industry’s claims and hold them accountable.