H&M Greenwashing

H&M is a familiar brand to many. Being the second-largest international clothing retailer after Inditex and launching in 1947, through in-person outlets and online shops the store has recently been navigating modern consumerism (H&M Group, History, 2024). This led officials at H&M to where so many other companies have also invested time. They are producing ‘green’ products. Conscious Exclusive for example is an ad showcasing H&M’s recently produced clothing and accessory line that shines a light on the strain between falsely sustainable fast fashion brands and truthfully committing to eco-friendly business practices.

The still advertisement features a well-balanced and well-lit composition showcasing three women intermediary to the frame. Each is dressed in distinct patterns and sports natural makeup and hair looks. The backdrop is divided horizontally. The bottom half is a garden alongside a picnic table and the upper portion is mostly white with peaks of buildings above, highlighting the location as a rooftop garden. The ad focuses on shades of sage, moss, and olive greens, alongside beige and brown tones. This earthy palette subtly suggests eco-friendliness, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. The woman in the middle sits on a bench, wearing a sandy beige two-piece set with ornamental details. To her left she leans on a model in a similar coloured dress but with the pattern a dark pattern atop the sandy colour beneath. On the far right, the final subject sits in a heavily patterned blouse mirroring the model on the left creating visual balance and a unified eyeliner for a consumer to follow. Featuring both ornamental flowers and functional greenery around them like a visible cabbage patch in the bottom left corner this combination of natural elements promotes sustainability, effectively connecting the clothing to an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Prominently displayed in the foreground is the H&M logo, accompanied by a white text overlay stating “Conscious Exclusive.” The wording promotes the retail conglomerate’s approach to appeal to society’s expectation of natural products. Conscious to make consumers feel good about the purchase and exclusive to ensure they go through with it. Government policies, general societal influence, and ads like the one examined play alongside each other in consumers’ minds to generate a willingness to purchase eco-friendly items (Xian, Bakar 2024, 152). The push to buy ‘green’ products in H&M’s campaign is branded as beneficial for the earth however developing sustainable clothes has not been a priority (Xian, Bakar 2024, 150).

The message this ad sells is peace of mind to consumers where they should be more natural and conscientious of what they buy. Even though brands may not provide full proof that a product is green, consumers are consoled by the idea that their ego or values hold up by purchasing these products. Through pictorial evidence of greenery and folksy beauty, this is achieved (Kang, Chuanlan, and Sang-Hoon, 2013, 444). Sunglasses and ascots to dresses and swimwear are what H&M claims to be made out of pineapple leaf fiber, algae biomass, and fibers derived from citrus peel. “We aim for 100% of our materials to be either recycled or sustainably sourced by 2030, and 30% recycled materials by 2025.” is an official statement posted by the company (H&M Group, 2024). Interestingly enough this was posted a few years after the examined advertisement exemplifying how claims of eco-friendliness can be dragged without proof of accomplishing it. The unstable consensus of how green H&M is has been harshly criticized even to the point of legal action. “Plaintiff Chelsea Commodore, a New York state resident, alleges that despite its position as a fast-fashion giant, H&M is deceptively capitalizing on the growing segment of conscious consumers by creating an extensive marketing scheme to greenwash its products and presenting them as environmentally friendly when they are not.” is one example of an extreme criticism they received (Sierra, 2024). Sourcing these natural ingredients to produce clothes still does damage to the environment, and workers who source them, and impacts the planet after someone feels they have worn it enough. Public relations teams and advertisers however don’t consider that due to how capitalism focuses on commodities.

The message of achievable earthiness when wearing these clothes proposes an alluring case to H&M’s target audience of this ad, which is likely young to middle-aged women. Purchasing an item such as a new wicker bag one might assume you bought it locally or handmade, buying one of the many patterned loose-flowing dresses that portray an image of boho freedom. These ideas not only make an audience want to render homey or earthy vibes but also make someone feel better about unnecessary purchases because of the implication of environmentally beneficial origins. H&M’s general demographic spans from most age groups and all genders. This particular ad however targets women perpetuating an idea opposite to a lot of other ads that target women, naturality. Even though the ad might be making exaggerated claims of eco-friendliness, there’s a stark difference between ads pushing women to change for success and acceptance in society and these naturally specific ones. Refreshing is an adjective to use while describing the point of “green” clothing items from large companies similar to H&M (Pichierri, Pino 2023, 1832). H&M continues to create a greener narrative through loose proof of doing so.

References

Guan Xian, and Norfarizah Mohd Bakhir. 2024. “Identify Factors Influencing Young People’s Use of Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags in the China Guangdong Province.” PaperAsia 40 (3b): 149–60. doi:10.59953/paperasia.v40i3b.135.

H&M History, H&M Group, https://hmgroup.com/about-us/history/

Sierra Brittany, Sustainable Fashion Forum. https://www.thesustainablefashionforum.com/pages/hm-is-being-sued-for-misleading-sustainability-marketing-what-does-this-mean-for-the-future-of-greenwashing

Kang Jiyun, Chuanlan Liu, and Sang‐Hoon Kim. 2013. “Environmentally Sustainable Textile and Apparel Consumption: The Role of Consumer Knowledge, Perceived Consumer Effectiveness and Perceived Personal Relevance.” International Journal of Consumer Studies 37 (4): 442–52. doi:10.1111/ijcs.12013.

Pichierri, Marco, and Giovanni Pino. 2023. “Less Saturated, More Eco-Friendly: Colour Saturation and Consumer Perception of Product Sustainability.” PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING 40 (9): 1830–49. doi:10.1002/Mar. 21858.

Vieira de Oliveira, Paulo Roberto, Anete Alberton, and Mateus Vianei Kreich. 2021. “The Congruence of Sdg Communication in Formal and Informal Channels Performed by Self-Titled Sustainable Companies.” Brazilian Journal of Management / Revista de Administração Da UFSM 14 (December): 1182–1200. doi:10.5902/1983465964962.