4A’s EVP of Sustainability and Government Relations Alison Pepper shared her views on where we stand as an industry on our sustainability goals for this LBBOnline article. Progress is rarely linear – it’s often one step forward, two steps back. The past year has seen governments and industries run into the very real challenges of […]

On October 7, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law two climate disclosure bills that will impose significant reporting obligations on thousands of companies doing business in California. Together, the bills comprise what Democratic lawmakers are calling California’s “Climate Accountability Package”. SB 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, will require companies to annually disclose […]

For marketers who want to adjust media practices to be more sustainable, knowing where to start can be a challenge. In collaboration with the 4A’s Sustainability Committee, we’ve distilled the takeaways from the GARM Sustainability Quick Action Guide into easily-implementable tactics for our members and compiled a set of RFP questions to help marketers and […]

Partnership Will Support Agency Members in Establishing Their Carbon Footprint   NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies), the leading U.S.-based advertising and marketing communications trade association, today announced a partnership with London-based climate success platform 51toCarbonZero (51-0) to help the 4A’s member agencies establish their carbon footprint. 51-0 […]

On April 24, 2023, the 4A’s submitted written comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding advertising agency recommendations for potential updates to the FTC Green Guides.  The FTC published a Request for Comment in December 2022 to seek public input into potential updates and changes to the Green Guides for the Use of Environmental […]

On December 14, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is seeking public comment on potential updates and changes to the Green Guides for the Use of Environmental Claims. The Commission’s Green Guides help marketers avoid making environmental marketing claims that are unfair or deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The […]

When it comes to working with fossil fuel businesses, the tide is turning in the world of advertising, writes the 4A’s executive vice-president of government relations and sustainability Alison Pepper. Sutton’s Law is the medical field’s shorthand for looking to the obvious when attempting to make a diagnosis (a concept also expressed in the saying, […]

As part of the recent COP-27 climate summit last month in Egypt, President Biden announced an initiative with significant implications for major federal contractors. Under this proposal, the United States would become the first country to require major government suppliers and contractors to set science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement.  It would […]

With the conclusion of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, it’s become abundantly clear that it can no longer be business as usual. Governments, citizens, and increasingly businesses are calling for climate action in every touchpoint of the economy. But what does that mean for agencies? What should agencies be doing in the face of […]

Much of the dialogue at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity revolved around sustainability. Alison Pepper, executive vice president of government relations and sustainability at the 4A’s, reflects on the points that succeeded, missed the mark and have potential in the future. Read more here via The Drum.

Ad Net Zero Expansion Led By Advertisers, Agency Groups, Media & Trade Bodies Companies Invited to Join Global Efforts To Drive Rapid Change CANNES LIONS, June 21, 2022: Leaders from many of the largest companies and associations in the world’s advertising industry have announced their intent to apply learning from the UK and plan the […]

By Alison Pepper, 4A’s EVP Government Relations Far too often, organizations view corporate sustainability initiatives as necessary but unprofitable signposts, rather than real opportunities to drive meaningful change while protecting their bottom lines. Alison Pepper, executive vice-president of government relations at the 4A’s, outlines three straightforward ways that companies of all kinds can invest in both the environment and […]

As client demand expands, shops must build practices to address them   In late 2021, Volkswagen celebrated its Employee Of The Month by awarding him a blue branded ribbon and his very own Instagram feature. The honoree, Woolter Smith, didn’t look much like your typical candidate—he was soft and wooly, his ears protruded from his […]

The 4As annual outlook report predicts the big trends that will shape an industry in flux. Agencies are masters at keeping up with change. But in 2022 they’ll be faced with more pressure than ever to adapt to a variety of forces reshaping the landscape, according to the 4As 2022 Outlook Report, released Tuesday. In […]

By Alison Pepper, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, 4A’s – American Association of Advertising Agencies (LinkedIn) You wouldn’t think an animated otter cheerfully strumming a guitar and generically encouraging a diverse array of carefully assembled U.K. residents to recycle would invoke controversy. On its face, it sounds pretty innocuous (or um, innocent, if you’re feeling cheeky). […]