Brand Activism Has Changed – Purpose Without Risk Is Just Positioning
This morning—World AIDS Day—a Facebook memory reminded me of one of the campaigns I’m still proud of from my time at The Body Shop. Be an Activist was one of those rare briefs: purpose-driven, creative, and genuinely impactful, long before “brand purpose” became a buzzword.
It made me stop and think:
Where did all the activist brands go?
Did we stop making meaningful work? Did audiences stop caring? Or did activism shift into something we do with our thumbs instead of our feet?
Back in 2010, activism wasn’t mainstream. Most brands stayed safe in CSR while a few outliers—The Body Shop, Benetton, Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, Patagonia, MAC—dared to take real stands. Ethical consumerism was rising, and millennials were pushing brands to show their values, not just state them. Many of us partnered with NGOs like UNAIDS, Amnesty and Fairtrade to ensure our activism was credible. But as financial pressures grew, lots of brands quietly scaled back.
The world then was emerging from the financial crisis. People wanted honesty and transparency from governments and corporations. Brands rushed to align with causes that signalled decency.
Fast-forward to today. The world is still chaotic—maybe more so—but the landscape has changed. Endless content, endless noise. Getting people to care, or take meaningful action, is harder. In 2010, activism felt collective: petitions, marches, participation. Now, so much of it happens passively, with a tap.
I miss work that changed people and communities—not just dashboards. What I always admired about The Body Shop was its willingness to take risks and stand for something, even when it alienated some customers. Our HIV-stigma work did exactly that. But that’s the point. Activism isn’t safe. It’s not comfortable. And it’s definitely not just content.
On World AIDS Day, I’m reminded that true brand activism requires courage. The brands that will matter in the future are the ones willing to take real risks, back real causes, and commit even when it’s inconvenient.
Here’s to bringing back activism with bite—creativity that moves people, not just metrics, and brands that choose impact over comfort. The world needs that energy again.
Grateful to have worked with incredible collaborators who believed in work that changed more than a bottom line. This campaign was shot by Rankin and featured Annie Lennox, alongside people sharing their own powerful stories.