DDB Sydney launches internal sustainability drive

DDB Sydney has launched a sustainability initiative in partnership with Change The Brief Alliance (#CTB).

The agency aims to integrate sustainable practices across all its operations and has designated over 20 staff as ‘Green Champions’ to lead a six-week programme which will inform and train colleagues on sustainability practices to pass on to clients. The initiative also includes operational shifts, such as adjustments to production processes, media choices, event planning, and eco-friendly additions like a native beehive on the agency’s Sydney office rooftop. 

The #CTB Alliance, developed by Purpose Disruptors, is a sustainability-focused educational programme designed for the advertising industry. The group includes a range of food, energy, and fashion experts to educate advertisers with strategies to foster sustainable consumer behaviours and lifestyles.

The move comes after the agency audited its emissions in Australia and New Zealand and decided to reduce its carbon footprint. The agency did not share the results of the audit.

The advertising industry has long struggled with sustainability practices, particularly its work with fossil-fuel clients. According to Clean Creatives’ F-List 2024, 219 contracts are split between major holding companies in the Asia Pacific region, including Omnicom. DDB has clients such as Thailand-based petro giant Bangchak and Gulf Oil.

"Our ambition is to review every stage of the creative process, from client briefing to delivery and measurement, to find areas for sustainability to be implemented,” said Sheryl Marjoram, chief executive of DDB Group Sydney. “This is more than just a behaviour change; it is a key strategic initiative that will run through the DNA of the agency.”

According to Campaign’s Agency Report Cards 2023, DDB supports Omnicom’s environmental goals across APAC, with sustainability initiatives in Malaysia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. 

The rise of generative AI has also seen agencies balancing AI's advantages with the need to address its potential environmental costs as more agencies integrate it to streamline targeting, improve ad spend, and speed up campaign development.