We had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Kantor, Director of Climate Club, one of our esteemed members of the jury for the Festival of Cause Campaign Awards 2025. We asked about the importance of integrating cause into media campaigns, the biggest challenges brands face in doing so, and her insights for creating truly impactful work.
How important is it for media campaigns to include an element of purpose or cause?
I mean, I’m biased… but I’d say it’s incredibly important.
Marketing and media are tools for influencing behaviour – surely we should be using that power to influence for good rather than just… more consumption. But the cause needs to be genuine – if it’s a PR stunt, consumers will see right through it, which could completely damage your brand reputation.
What are the biggest challenges in implementing cause/purpose into media campaigns?
ROI ROI ROI.
There’s still this frustrating idea that cause is somehow in opposition to profit – that if you’re doing something good, it must be costing you something, and you have to choose one or the other… But it really doesn’t have to.
In fact, purpose done well can drive loyalty, brand love, and long-term commercial returns, and they’re are many examples of businesses who have been able to achieve this.
The real challenge is when purpose is tacked on as an afterthought, rather than being built into the strategy from the start. That’s when you’re at risk of greenwashing and people nowadays can smell inauthenticity a mile off.
What organisations in the industry do you believe are walking the talk when it comes to cause?
Clean Creatives.
They’ve done what a lot of the industry hasn’t had the guts to do & call out the disconnect between the creative work we love and the fossil fuel clients quietly bankrolling it… greenwashing or misinformation is rampant, and that information starts somewhere.. many times with smart, creative people in ad agencies trying to find an angle or build a narrative – and they’re great at it, let’s be honest.
Signing the Clean Creatives pledge means as an agency or a client, you refuse to work with oil and gas companies… and over 1,300 agencies have now joined.
It’s a bold move, especially for big network agencies where fossil fuel clients still make up a large chunk of revenue. But it’s also the kind of industry-wide shift we need if we’re serious about change.
What more can media do to help make the world a better place?
There’s been a big focus lately on Scope 3 emissions, which is great looking at the carbon footprint of the media we buy, and even where content is hosted.
But honestly… that’s just one part of the puzzle.
The real question is: What are you selling?
Because if you’re optimising media to sell more plastic toys, fast fashion, or ultra-processed snacks… then tweaking your hosting platform to be a bit greener doesn’t really move the needle.
Purpose in media can’t just be about how we deliver a message – it has to include what the message is selling, and the impact of that product or behaviour. We all need to be thinking about what we’re actually selling and if people (or the planet) will really be better off as a result.
