Thread by @Journotopia

1/6 The oil industry has long been attacked for its "greenwashing" campaigns. But the ad agencies behind the campaigns have avoided scrutiny. That's changing, as climate tops the global agenda. My story with @ValerieVolco @Sheila_Dang #advertising reuters.com/article/climat…

2/6 Recent lawsuits by U.S. states name specific ad campaigns as "misleading and deceptive greenwashing," including this one promoting a fossil fuel giant as a leader in renewable energy. Might ad agencies also get embroiled in the lawsuits? vimeo.com/49939390

3/6 The ad agency behind @Chevron's "We Agree" campaign is @McGarryBowen. Its parent company, Dentsu, declined to comment. Many other ad agencies also declined to talk about climate change and their high-carbon clients. One agency said it was too busy.

4/6 "Advertising is the industry that transparency forgot," says Solitaire Townsend. Her agency, Futerra, created this initiative for ad agencies to disclose what percentage of their revenue comes from "high-carbon clients": creativeandclimate.com @GreenSolitaire @Futerra

5/6 Some ad agencies present themselves as saviors of the climate while representing oil companies accused of wrecking it, says @ChristineArena, a former Edelman exec. "You can no longer play both sides credibly or with impunity," she told us.

6/6 And finally - the illustrations in the previous tweets come from this mesmerizing, one-minute video urging the ad industry "to question what we influence and reset the way we live." Here's the link: greatreset.com (Many thanks to @JonathanMWise at @PurposeDisrupt.)