This year’s Earth Day urges us to think of Our Power, Our Planet, as the tagline champions the goal of tripling the global generation of clean energy by 2030. As climate change intensifies, the advertising industry can examine its role in the progress towards decarbonisation. Advertising does not only sell products — it can promote ideas, aspirations and behaviors.

So this Earth Day, we’re spotlighting four innovative campaigns that not only publicised renewable energy or green practices — they also helped us to reframe the way we think about sustainability.

1. Heineken’s ‘Blackout’ TV ad

Heineken uses renewable energy to brew its beer, and it has not been shy in talking about it. In 2022, the beer company cleverly created what is called a ‘Blackout’ ad in Brazil which was a 45-second spot that was simply a black screen with a voiceover for 30 seconds, followed by 15 seconds in which the Heineken logo appeared, alongside a QR code for people to register to Heineken’s Green Energy Program which offers green energy to consumers. The ad was not only eye-catching for a lack of visuals, it’s also been claimed to be sustainable itself — consuming 34% less energy than a previous ad in the same Sunday prime time slot in Brazil, enough energy to power a small city of 57,000 inhabitants in Brazil for a few hours.

Heineken is no stranger to sustainable ads. It has also installed solar panels on a billboard and boasted that “This billboard is cooling your Heineken. Cheers.” The interesting hook of the Heineken ads is the self-awareness that advertising itself can become an energy intensive activity, and by pulling people’s attention to it, the company has created a sense of the unexpected — all while enhancing its credibility as a sustainable player.

2. Volkswagen — ‘The Last Mile’

As Norway races toward its all-electric future, Volkswagen bid farewell to the internal combustion engine with ‘The Last Mile.’ The poetic campaign, which featured a beautifully animated film, chronicled an elderly man’s final drive in a gas-powered vehicle, capturing nostalgia while subtly nudging viewers toward progress.

What set this ad apart was not just the cinematic quality, but the emotional framing of the energy transition. By honoring the past while celebrating change, the ad shows how storytelling can make the sustainable choice feel not just logical, but deeply human.

3. Contact Energy — ‘It’s good to be home’

Contact Energy’s campaign to build a better future for New Zealanders is told in the story of a flatshare — grounding the message to an everyday circumstance with which many of us are familiar. Only that in this Kiwi flat, housemates include an uptight penguin, a milk-stealing ruru and gaming sea lions and sheep. The message in the ad is that we share a home with people, animals, trees and even the rocks that call this place home.

Rather than spotlighting technology or futuristic solutions, the campaign focuses on the everyday warmth and emotional value of home life, powered by renewable electricity. By contextualizing clean energy in familiar moments (like the light of a lamp at bedtime or the hum of a kitchen), it connects abstract climate goals with the intimacy of a home, reframing sustainability as something personal and emotionally resonant.

4. Powershop — An interactive children’s book

Australian green energy provider Powershop launched a children’s book that is co-written in real time in response to families’ actual energy use. The book asks kids and parents to help a frog Goldie to prepare for her Pond Party. Using clever API to adapt its narrative, the story improves as a household’s energy usage becomes more sustainable.

This campaign gamifies personal responsibility in a light-touch, engaging way, teaching kids (and parents) about energy without preaching. The result is a charming narrative experience that reinforces sustainable habits through play, combining innovation and education and inspiring the next generation of climate-conscious citizens.

Last year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a plea to the world’s ad and PR agencies: stop promoting fossil fuels and start being part of the solution. His words echo significant steps like The Hague becoming the first city in the world to ban fossil fuel advertising — part of a growing movement demanding the industry rethink its role in shaping cultural norms around consumption.

These campaigns prove that creativity can drive culture — and culture can drive change. From bold and unexpected climate communications to everyday nudges toward better habits, the industry has an opportunity to model the world we want to live in, on Earth Day and every day.

Image Credits: Unsplash