Logo

CBS Under Fire From Environmental Groups

Apr 15, 2011  •  Post A Comment

CBS is being accused of "greenwashing," after four environmental groups have complained to the Federal Trade Commission about the CBS EcoAd program, which allows companies to buy ads in TV, outdoor and online venues that include logos that show green leaves between the words "eco" and "ad," reports The New York Times’ Media Decoder blog.

The organizations complain that the logo implies the advertisers themselves are environmentally conscious and operate in a "green" way, although they allege that CBS doesn’t check whether that’s the case, the story says.

CBS has promised to donate a portion of the ads sold through the program to environmental and clean-energy products in local communities, the article notes. The organizations making the complaint are the Center for Environmental Health, Ecopreneurist, Friends of the Earth and the Rainforest Action Network.

CBS issued a statement that takes issue with the complaint, pointing out that a disclaimer appears on the Eco Ad website, which "clearly states what the EcoAd is and is not.” The disclaimer says EcoAd "is not a certification program nor is the EcoAd logo a seal of approval," the article notes.

Your Comment

Email (will not be published)