Greenpeace aims 'Onslaught' back at Dove

After finding some traction with its swipe at the "Get a Mac" ads, Greenpeace has returned to the parody trough. This time, the group riffs on Dove’s “Onslaught” ad with its own “Onslaught(er)” commercial, in which it criticizes Dove parent company Unilever’s use of Indonesian palm oil. Though I wasn’t even a big fan of the real “Onslaught” ad, I actually like this parody. It points out a specific issue for debate, rather than offering the usual vague Greenpeace or WWF message of “Help the planet.” However, the spot doesn’t really connect all the dots, so here’s a brief rundown: Palm oil has long been the base ingredient in modern soaps (Palmolive was named for its original combination of palm and olive oils). Today, it’s a vital, profitable crop that has brought stability and growth to several countries. But that success comes at a price—namely, the clearing of tropical forests for new palm plantations. The clear-cutting threatens wildlife such as orangutans, which is why Greenpeace has also pulled some monkey shenanigans on Unilever. But obviously, this isn’t a simple issue with one clear bad guy. So, the real question is, can Greenpeace continue to push this message in a productive way, or will it just drift out of memory while they work on their stinging parody of that spot where the lizards dance to “Thriller”? Via Osocio.

—Posted by David Griner

April 22, 2008 in Griner | Permalink