Carlsberg TV advert and seagrass

[Concerto]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the latest TV advert for Carlsberg beer and their sponsorship of seagrass planting. They claim that seagrass absorbs more CO2 than rain forest, plus the figure of 92% loss of seagrass is mentioned in the link. Surely this must be challenged or it will become a fact to the general population. Perhaps a complaint to the Advertising Standards should be made.

Carlsberg promotes WWF partnership with winsome sea creatures

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

I suspect you will find an organisation like Carlsberg have done their homework and can point you at (semi) reputable references that back up their claims at least sufficiently to keep advertising standards happy who lets face it are not going to be interested in the detail of scientific research publications

A couple of minutes on google would suggest the claims are not outrageous

e.g. The UK has lost more than 90% of the lush seagrass meadows that once surrounded the nation, research has found. from 'Catastrophic': UK has lost 90% of seagrass meadows, study finds.

and

Atmospheric carbon is captured by coastal mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes at a rate five times faster than tropical forests.
Seagrass and Seagrass Beds

I just rather hope that the amount Carlsberg end up giving WWF is significantly more than they spend on producing and running their adverts !

 

[st599]

Also, the recently announced UK 2034 Carbon reduction targets seem to rely on "Blue Carbon", i.e. carbon stored in underwater seagrasses/salt marshes etc.. I'd expect that's the reason that the RYA is working with various universities looking at how moorings can be created which don't disturb seagrass, as the plans seem to call for large areas to be planted.

Seagrass Restoration
A new seagrass restoration scheme could be used to fight UK emissions
The Blue Carbon Initiative | UK-IOC

 

[MystyBlue2]

Come on...Are you serious? Its a bloody ad for beer not an Attenborough documentary.

The whole point of ads it to grab the viewers attention and draw them in. Not to be 100% truthful and factual like a documentary.

If thats the case then I'm personally making a formal complaint to Redbull tomorrow as i did not receive my wings as i was promised!!

Come on.....Seriously?

 

[Northern Star]

Well there was also an article on SKY news too: Seagrass that stores 35 times more carbon than rainforests being planted off Devon coast

and this a few weeks ago: The Daily Climate Show: seagrass superheroes

 

[lustyd]

So we’re not allowed to change anything in nature but they’re planting a load of sea grass? Sounds like an eco disaster waiting to happen when they discover that it causes some imbalance that hurts something else

 

[penfold]

That's alright; according to Natural England we can kill it all by dropping an anchor on it.

So we’re not allowed to change anything in nature but they’re planting a load of sea grass? Sounds like an eco disaster waiting to happen when they discover that it causes some imbalance that hurts something else

 

[dom]

Got to be careful not to get the wrong side of the climate debate here -- it's not where 99% of us want to be and will do us no good at all.

The RYA has become an increasingly venal organisation which wishes to stick close to its Government sources of funding. As the expression goes, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

The substantive point here is that seagrass will have to be grown on an industrial scale to have any effect whatsoever on climate, and a few yacht anchors in a small number of popular anchorages seems unlikely to do much damage. Upon closer examination the evidence suggests it does no damage at all.

And we want to be part of the solution not the problem. As does Carlsberg, which possessing one of the cleverest marketing departments on the planet has produced this emotionally clever advert which combines soft Disney anthropomorphism with social responsibility in a beautifully shot and cleverly conceived vehicle. It is designed to encourage its customers to conflate Carlsberg green with seagrass green.

This is a battle we neither need to fight nor should go anywhere near.

IMHO

 

[savageseadog]

Come on...Are you serious? Its a bloody ad for beer not an Attenborough documentary.

The whole point of ads it to grab the viewers attention and draw them in. Not to be 100% truthful and factual like a documentary.

If thats the case then I'm personally making a formal complaint to Redbull tomorrow as i did not receive my wings as i was promised!!

Come on.....Seriously?

It is in fact exactly this sort of advertising that does register in the public's mind.

I could point to other matters that are subject to unscientific propaganda that now seems to be accepted as factual by a large proportion of the public.

 

[lustyd]

to have any effect whatsoever on climate

The problem is that we don't know what that effect will be yet. The anerobic nature of the soil created is a good environment to produce methane which is many times worse than CO2 for the environment and we have no good way to measure it in this environment. The fairly poor studies which have been done suggest there is some impact but they generally admit they couldn't properly measure. It's entirely possible that planting on an industrial scale could bring about the climate apocolype much sooner. I certainly saw a study suggesting that rainforests have a net negative effect with greenhouse gases due to their methane output. They do reduce carbon, but in doing so increase methane.

 

[MystyBlue2]

It is in fact exactly this sort of advertising that does register in the public's mind.

I could point to other matters that are subject to unscientific propaganda that now seems to be accepted as factual by a large proportion of the public.

Or people have nothing else better to do than look at minor details and text to then complain and sue over.

Why cant folk get a grip and see it as a bloomin TV AD and not take everything so seriously and 100% true. People need to have a sense of humour. It's called puffery!! Not to be taken seriously!! I often wonder if i am talking to adults on this forum and not a bunch of scholars ?

Look at the crazy ads we had in the 80's-90's, it was all for humour and not to be taken as fact. We are turning out to be one hell of a pathetic nanny state.

You want fact...Read a nonfiction book or go to college/Uni.

Watch this @ 0.20s...

Think i might complain as ive never seen a dingo with 2 tails. ?

Look at the bigger picture for christ sake...A tad on the pathetic side i think. Some folk really need to get out more for sure!!

 

[Lodestone]

I suspect you will find an organisation like Carlsberg have done their homework and can point you at (semi) reputable references that back up their claims at least sufficiently to keep advertising standards happy who lets face it are not going to be interested in the detail of scientific research publications

A couple of minutes on google would suggest the claims are not outrageous

e.g. The UK has lost more than 90% of the lush seagrass meadows that once surrounded the nation, research has found. from 'Catastrophic': UK has lost 90% of seagrass meadows, study finds.

and

Atmospheric carbon is captured by coastal mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes at a rate five times faster than tropical forests.
Seagrass and Seagrass Beds

I just rather hope that the amount Carlsberg end up giving WWF is significantly more than they spend on producing and running their adverts !

Unfortunately the conservation narrative around seagrass by academics and the (often narrow focus) charities IS bordering on outrageous. The 90% loss figure for seagrass is for a start usually prefaced in journals, press briefings and papers (both academic and Fleet Street) by words such as 'likely' and 'estimated' but the headline remains 90%!!!. Furthermore it is the very upper limit of a wild variety of estimates as to loss simply because nobody - researchers or otherwise - has any idea how much there was! So the figure is irresponsibly 'talked up' to give readers a sense of drama that 'we must do all we can to protect the wonderful seagrass/panda/leopard/research position/marine conservation charity (delete as appropriate).'

All marine habitats are important but is there a crisis with UK seagrass? Who knows. Should a way be found to allow conservation and human activity to sit side by side yes (we have to!)- provided the solutions are practical. So far the only proposals put forward for sailors are either bans or completely impractical ones.

Unfortunately the debate about seagrass and conservation generally is headed to Trumpville for a complete polarisation of views and entrenchment. I think the way some wildlife bodies have gone about the seagrass issue is completely misleading and worthy of complaint to the charities commission. There is a middle ground but the 'conservationists' don't appear to want it. Some of the seagrass fraternity don't even like people walking on the grass. Might they want to ban children paddling on the beach? Judging by some of the tweets I've seen that wouldn't surprise me!

 

[Tranona]

Why cant folk get a grip and see it as a bloomin TV AD and not take everything so seriously and 100% true. People need to have a sense of humour. It's called puffery!! Not to be taken seriously!! I often wonder if i am talking to adults on this forum and not a bunch of scholars ?
Look at the bigger picture for christ sake...A tad on the pathetic side i think. Some folk really need to get out more for sure!!

Suspect you underestimate the power of advertising. why do you think they use this connection if not to influence peoples' thoughts? I would have thought the last year or so would have demonstrated clearly how opinion is informed or misinformed and advertising folks get paid to do it. Their skill is in staying just the right side of telling outright porkies - but as we see so often they do step over the line.

 

[JohnGC]

For a more considered view of Geo-engineering (climate) from the Director of the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Prof Nick Owens is also a sailor and member of the OCC.

This isn't about seagrass especially, but does include a section on the importance of costal marine habitat.

It's 1:45 including the introduction and Q&A.

The OCC webinar series has been good. All where recorded and are freely available on the OCC's website.
Webinar

 

[MystyBlue2]

Suspect you underestimate the power of advertising. why do you think they use this connection if not to influence peoples' thoughts? I would have thought the last year or so would have demonstrated clearly how opinion is informed or misinformed and advertising folks get paid to do it. Their skill is in staying just the right side of telling outright porkies - but as we see so often they do step over the line.

Well maybe i underestimate the intelligence of the human race as a species if people are believing everything they watch on a TV AD.

Come on you cant be serious?..If someone is that gullible and daft enough to believe that then their common sense and basic intelligence needs addressing and if it wasn't a TV Ad going to cause them harm it would definitely be something else in life!

If you want cold hard scientific fact, do a uni course if you want quick querky advertising pitches then the companies SHOULD be able to exaggerate things without someone being a COMPLETE idiot. Like said its the intelligence of the viewers not the Advertising company!

Just type into YouTube- 90's funny TV AD's.

See how much has changed because of a nanny state and lack of basic intelligence to see what is real and what is not.

I'm going to sue MGM for the misinformed scene of the "Wizard of Oz"....I keep clicking my heels together while saying, "Theres no place like home, Theres no place like home, Theres no place like home" Yet im still stuck here at work!!

I honestly think for the most part its the well to do, Laa Dee Dah PC brigade, Exploiting and sueing through the legal loopholes and claiming on the "False Advertisement" Bullsh*t, All Through sheer small mindedness and pure greed for money. Just like all the "Fake whiplash claims" its now gone too far! People need to get lives it's absolutely Pathetic!

This has definitely given me and the lads at work a good laugh today for sure.

 

[Sea-Fever]

Or people have nothing else better to do than look at minor details and text to then complain and sue over.

Why cant folk get a grip and see it as a bloomin TV AD and not take everything so seriously and 100% true. People need to have a sense of humour. It's called puffery!! Not to be taken seriously!! I often wonder if i am talking to adults on this forum and not a bunch of scholars ?

Look at the crazy ads we had in the 80's-90's, it was all for humour and not to be taken as fact. We are turning out to be one hell of a pathetic nanny state.

You want fact...Read a nonfiction book or go to college/Uni.

Watch this @ 0.20s...

Think i might complain as ive never seen a dingo with 2 tails. ?

Look at the bigger picture for christ sake...A tad on the pathetic side i think. Some folk really need to get out more for sure!!

You have completely missed the point being made by OP.

 

[MystyBlue2]

You have completely missed the point being made by OP.

No i dont think i have, If the Ad in question has infact gotten a few facts wrong, Is there any need to take offence and get our knickers in a twist and feel the need to report such disgraceful sins? Come on! Its a bloomin Tv ad for christ sake!

 

[Sea-Fever]

No i dont think i have, If the Ad in question has infact gotten a few facts wrong, Is there any need to take offence and get our knickers in a twist and feel the need to report such disgraceful sins? Come on! Its a bloomin Tv ad for christ sake!

Like I said, you've missed the point.

I suspect the OP has commented on the veracity of the claims because of the potential impact on popular opinion regarding seagrass and, by extension, popular opinion toward the impact of anchoring.

Most advertising is manipulative, surely you cannot disagree with that. That is why bodies such as the ASA exist. To that extent you must also agree that there are people who believe many of the claims made in adverts.

I fail to see the relevance of your Red Bull advert example, which cannot attract serious criticism because very few people will believe you actually get some wings.

It is the more insidious ad claim such as that quoted in the Carlsberg ad which, if incorrect and unchallenged, does damage to the public policy agenda, by virtue of the cynical way that politicians follow public opinion rather than having an opinion in the first place and then sticking to it.

I dont think it's fair or relevant to characterise forumites as scholars looking to pick a fight with an advertiser for the sake of it because of a random false claim....so you missed the point.

 

[MystyBlue2]

Like I said, you've missed the point.

I suspect the OP comments on the veracity of the claims because of the potential impact on popular opinion regarding seagrass and, by extension, popular opinion toward the impact of anchoring.

Most advertising is manipulative, surely you cannot disagree with that. That is why bodies such as the ASA exist. To that extent you must also agree that there are people who believe many of the claims made in adverts.

I fail to see the relevance of your Red Bull advert example, which cannot attract serious criticism because very few people will believe you actually get some wings.

It is the more insidious ad claim such as that quoted in the Carlsberg ad which, if incorrect and unchallenged, does damage to the public policy agenda, by virtue of the cynical way that politicians follow public opinion rather than having an opinion in the first place and then sticking to it.

I dont think it's fair or relevant to characterise forumites as scholars looking to pick a fight with an advertiser for the sake of it because of a random false claim....so you missed the point.

If the false claims where being made on an Attenborough documentary i would 100% agree with you, but seen as we are talking about a Advertisement for beer i think you are all WAY over reacting and need to look at the bigger picture before crying over spilt milk.

Look at the Advertisement i linked above for example, Automotive Advertisements, kids sweets Ads, Toy Ads, Even down to the lean green electric machines they call "Environmental friendly cars" Yes they produce 0 emissions but a power plant has been chucking tons and tons of crap into the air to produce the parts for that vehicle so its not as "Green" as one might claim...

See how its totally contradictory and hypocritical and in EVERY SINGLE AD there are always discrepancies and very few ad companies will say that they are 100% factual.

Like i stated above, It's the intelligence of the viewers and if the viewers are that gullible, Then i worry for them, And going as far as "sueing" a company over a few wrongful words on an Advertisement....Well a tad pathetic and sad! Look at an Advertisement as an Advertisement and not as a factual part of TV. Take all ads with a pinch of salt. Its not hard

 

[Sea-Fever]

If the false claims where being made on an Attenborough documentary i would 100% agree with you, but seen as we are talking about a Advertisement for beer i think you are all WAY over reacting and need to look at the bigger picture before crying over spilt milk.

Look at the Advertisement i linked above for example, Automotive Advertisements, kids sweets Ads, Toy Ads, Even down to the lean green electric machines they call "Environmental friendly cars" Yes they produce 0 emissions but a power plant has been chucking tons and tons of crap into the air to produce the parts for that vehicle so its not as "Green" as one might claim...

See how its totally contradictory and hypocritical and in EVERY SINGLE AD there are always discrepancies and very few ad companies will say that they are 100% factual.

Like i stated above, It's the intelligence of the viewers and if the viewers are that gullible, Then i worry for them, And going as far as "sueing" a company over a few wrongful words on an Advertisement....Well a tad pathetic and sad! Look at an Advertisement as an Advertisement and not as a factual part of TV. Take all ads with a pinch of salt. Its not hard

I give up.