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A team of Extinction Rebellion activists today (Thursday) infiltrated the London HQ of global advertising and media agency McCann Worldgroup to protest about the company’s reported bid for another stint as top greenwasher for fossil fuel giants Saudi Aramco. [1]

The activists gained access to the lobby of the building where they unfurled banners saying “McCann Say No to Aramco” and “Ditch The Pitch” and called upon agency staff to rebel against their bosses’ decision to repitch for oil company Aramco’s advertising account.

Wearing grinning masks of worldwide CEO Daryl Lee, the XR team occupied the lobby while employees arrived for work, welcoming them with fistfuls of “petrodollars”. They also distributed leaflets explaining how devastating Aramco’s business is for the climate and called on McCann to say ‘no’ to providing more greenwashing for them. 

As the Police arrived, the activists were still distributing intricately-designed petrodollars with the message to employees: “Ask your bosses to stop greenwashing Aramco and ruining your reputations”.

One of the XR activists, Alexandra Considine, 55, a therapist from London, said: “McCann trades on their founding motto of ‘Truth Well Told.’ But where’s the truth when it comes to working for climate-wrecking Saudi Aramco? The truth is that the agency’s bosses are happy to take Big Oil’s dirty money to greenwash Aramco’s business. And that business is speeding up the climate and nature emergency. We desperately need McCann’s people to stand up for what they know is right and say they don’t want to work on the Saudi Aramco account.”

Another activist, Katie Burrell, 51, a communications consultant from London, said: “McCann is a well-respected agency and the people who work here are highly skilled in what they do. I can’t believe most of its people want to work for a company that misleads people about the climate crisis and their so-called sustainable ambitions. 

“Instead of contributing to positive change, Saudi Aramco is investing heavily in new oil and gas business and lobbying against action that would protect a liveable planet for us all. Ad agencies should be a force for good in fixing the climate crisis but McCann is trashing its reputation by supporting clients that are trashing the planet. It’s bizarre to me that McCann called the Police for our small group of nonviolent protesters who just want a world where everyone can flourish but are happy to do business with climate criminals.”

Saudi Aramco is no stranger to bad press about greenwashing. Last week, it was in the news accused of ‘misleading’ claims about sustainable fuel and their Formula 1 team in a complaint lodged with the Advertising Standards Authority. [2]

Despite running token sustainability programmes for its PR, Saudi Aramco is investing most heavily in its oil and gas business including investing $100 billion in fracking.[3] Aramco claims to be pausing expansion plans, but this does not actually restrict its future output whatsoever [4] and the company is playing a major role in resisting action on the climate crisis. [5].

The action at the McCann’s London HQ was XR’s latest strike against the advertising and media agencies who are still greenwashing the worst fossil fuel crooks in the world. XR activists have repeatedly protested and disrupted media agency Havas who recently became Shell’s greenwashers-in-chief to the horror of many of its staff.

The action came against a background of a week of major protests by XR in the City of London that involved high-profile office occupations and marches targeting the major insurance companies who are greenlighting climate-wrecking oil, gas and coal projects by continuing to insure them. 

Notes to editors
[1] McCann and its work for Saudi Aramco
[2] Saudi Aramco is accused of “misleading” fans around its ‘sustainable fuel’ drive, 21 February 2024
[3] Despite running token sustainability programmes for its PR, Saudi Aramco is investing most heavily in its oil and gas business including investing $100 billion in fracking 
[4] Aramco claims to be pausing expansion plans, but this does not actually restrict its future output whatsoever
[5] Saudi Aramco major role in resisting action on the climate crisis  

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Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate and ecological crisis which is upon us, including the sixth mass species extinction, global pollution, and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent and radical action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4˚C warming, leading to societal collapse and mass loss of life. The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the front-line. No-one will escape the devastating impacts.