Of course, customers want to have a clear conscience when shopping. That is why manufacturers advertise their products with all sorts of good-sounding promises – which unfortunately often turn out to be untenable on closer inspection. The consumer organization Foodwatch has therefore launched the “golden windbag”, a vote on “the most brazen advertising lie of the year”. Consumers can cast their vote until December 12th for one of the five candidates.
This year’s election mainly focuses on dubious sustainability promises. Influencer Pamela Reif, for example, advertises the packaging of her protein bars as “plastic-free” and “biodegradable”. In fact, a plastic is used that is only compostable under special industrial conditions, so that it is usually burned like normal plastic waste and is just as environmentally harmful, reports Foodwatch.
Also in the pillory are supposedly sustainable coffee capsules from JJ Darboven, “climate-neutral” meat from Rewe, Volvic water from Danone and Katjes sweets with a vitamin promise. “The food industry now wants to cash in on consumers’ need for more sustainability and is marketing their products as a way of saving the environment and the climate,” says Manuel Wiemann from foodwatch. He demands: “Climate and environmental advertising on non-ecological products must be stopped.”
Of the star asked all nominated companies for their comments. If there is an answer, this is taken into account in the photo series.