AMV BBDO backs sustainability projects with green consultancy launch

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has consolidated its environmental activism-themed campaigns and experience into a singular in-agency entity and launched a consultancy to help advertisers' sustainability projects.

 Dubbed AMVxGreen, the consultancy is being led by some of AMV's senior talent: strategy partner Suzanne Barker, senior business director Jonny White and Red Studios executive producer Mark Graeme, all of whom have been instrumental in various green initiatives. Barker, for instance, has recently completed a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy with Harvard Business School, and White had led AMV BBDO's Currys account team, positioning the brand as the UK's largest tech recycler.

 Under the aegis of the team, AMVxGreen will offer clients services such as writing green strategies, advising on environmentally friendly packaging and developing both internal and external comms campaigns. The practice is working with clients including Bupa, which recently appointed AMV BBDO to create a sustainability campaign, and Essity, which the agency is working with on sustainability workshops.

 The consultancy offering is founded on an open framework that means it can collaborate with external partners. These include Anna Öhrling of Tuulee Consulting, Rob McFaul, co-founder of Purpose Disruptors and lead at #ChangeTheBrief Alliance and John Knight of PA Consulting.

 AMV BBDO has established a reputation for hard-hitting and award-winning ecological campaigns. Working with media group LadBible, its "Trash Isles" work saw the UN officially recognise the Isles as a country. Over the past five years, the agency has also worked closely with Mars' Sheba to launch the "world's largest coral reef restoration project", and the agency put pressure on estate agents to publicise air pollution via Addresspollution.org (winning two golds at the Campaign Ad Net Zero Awards). These campaigns collectively won 14 Grand Prix and 44 gold awards at awards such as Cannes Lions. The agency's Royal Mail "Footprints" also won £2m in ad funding from Sky's Zero Footprint Fund scheme.

 Sam Hawkey, AMV BBDO's chief executive, said that the agency wanted to "change the world through the work we do and we believe the way of doing that is bringing brilliant experts at all stages of a client's sustainability journey to ensure their businesses, brands and customers use it to compete and thrive".

 He added: "At AMV we already have such a deep focus on sustainability through everything we do and present to clients. We understand the stage where the companies are. So, it's great to be able to offer them a clear path to better choices for the planet and their business. It's not so much the future as the present and we can work together to make this happen."

 Barker described creativity as "[best flourishing] in that beautiful space between boundless imagination and defined constraints".

 She continued: "By operating sustainably and pursuing sustainability opportunities we are applying a necessary discipline and exploring innovative necessary solutions together. And the way of doing that is using 'radical empathy' to enable positive change.

"This means anything we do when it comes to sustainability starts from a human-first place. We always begin by understanding how people feel. If we understand how they feel we can translate that into how to make them care or act."

 AMV BBDO is also a member of Ad Net Zero; has adopted AdGreen best practice in production, investing in training for staff and collecting levies from clients to fund the initiative; and has been trying out virtual production to reduce emissions.