In a highly controversial advertising campaign, eco warriors Greenpeace has called-out global chocolate seller Nestle through a provocative satire which aims to stop the international chocolatier from sourcing their palm oil from companies who are accused of destroying Indonesia’s rain forests.
The internet advert, or ‘viral’, launched the campaign last Wednesday, posting their online affront to mixed reviews.
Generating a loaded following from eco-enthusiasts around the world, the viral was first aired via the home of online viral entertainment YouTube but was soon pulled due to copyright infringement.
The mock advert mimics Nestle’s leading chocolate bar Kit Kat, turning their slogan ‘Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat’ into an environmental comment on the state of Indonesian rain forests and the threats posed to its natural habitat.
‘Give the orang-utan a break’ fronts the one minute video where an office worker innocently pulls out a glossy, wrapped orang-utan paw and begins snapping segments in front of appalled onlookers. The brief but tremendously effective satire finishes with images of rain forests being chainsawed and pulled down into devastation.
At present the site has received over 500,000 hits, and is growing daily. Thousands of Greenpeace supporters followed by emailing Paul Bulcke, Nestle CEO, with questions directed to their current environmental policy and the state of palm oil harvesting in relation to the company as a whole.
It has since been reported that the Nestle CEO has blocked any further online investigation and Andre Kudelski, a member of the board of directors, is due to send a press release in order to address the issues raised.
Palm oil harvesting is one the major contributors to the degeneration of rain forests worldwide. The orang-utan and hundreds of other wild species are being put under threat because of this unethical business venture. Greenpeace’s impact has stirred global appeal and will surely bring about an address worthy of public inquest.
The viral video can still be found online, but its topic runs much deeper than the emotions evoked for any sympathetic or ethically concerned spectator. Greenpeace spokesman had this to say about the support produced by the internet sensation:
“Facebook users went to Nestle’s fan page to ask what the company was doing about their palm oil suppliers, where they were met with rude and arrogant responses from the company. Word of this spread like wildfire around the internet, and has been the talk of many high-profile blogs and news websites.”
Such activism not only threatens the chocolate seller’s domestic and friendly product image but sends shock waves through their business policy and to the core of its brand integrity.
