Going back to basics
Founded by three friends, Innocent made its debut in 1999 at the stall of a small jazz festival in London. It was long ahead of the brand purpose curve, launching with a mission to “make it easy for people to do themselves some good.” By 2013, Coca-Cola had taken full control of the business in a deal worth more than $350 million.
The brand underwent a period of rapid growth in the years that followed. However, it remained purpose-driven in its marketing, highlighting its ethical farming and sustainability initiatives. It also forged a strong, engaging tone of voice on social.
Recent years have seen Innocent’s creative output underscoring its role in contributing to a “healthy, happier planet.” Such campaigns have included its 2021 animation “Little Drinks Big Dreams” and its 2022 experiential “Big Rewild”project, for which it partnered with local organizations across Europe to create and protect natural spaces and fruit orchards.
Critics including activist group Plastics Rebellion questioned how this messaging contrasted with the brand’s use of plastic bottles (which they claim Innocent produces 32,000 of each hour). It also highlighted owner Coca-Cola’s position as one of the world’s top plastic polluters.
Innocent fell foul of the U.K’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and was reprimanded for “misleading” consumers with “Little Drink, Big Dreams”, which featured a cast of characters singing a catchy jingle about “fixing up” the world accompanied by images of people recycling and squeezing fruit from a tree into Innocent smoothies.
At the time, Hunter told ADWEEK advertisers needed “more consistent guidance” they could get behind when it came to marketing sustainability claims. “My biggest fear is that brands and businesses will feel as though they can’t do anything because they’re too nervous,” she said. “This is one of the biggest challenges [society] has ever faced, and brands have a massive role to play in solving it.”
Now, she said discussions are ongoing with both regulators such as the ASA (which recently updated its environmental claims guidelines for brands) and senior marketing peers to get more “clarity and simplification” around green advertising. For her, Innocent’s latest work isn’t a pivot away from its sustainability messaging, which will continue to be part of its communication strategy.
Working alongside Karina O’Gorman, who Innocent hired as its head of force for good to oversee sustainability and nutrition in 2021, the brand will continue to be a business that puts investment into “doing good all round for to profit people and the planet.”