This is the first time I have ever seen one company benefit from a disaster that another company (or industry) created. It’s an interesting way to avoid taking a activist position while effectively positioning a brand for a cause.

As the environmental space gets increasingly crowded, it becomes ever more difficult to rationally position a brand as a green hero. Can brands like Dawn be seen as a hero of sorts because their product takes an active role in mitigating oil spills or will this ad be seen as green-washing? 65,000 people have viewed the ad on YouTube so far and 98% of people who voted like the ad, so the stats look good so far.

The ad was produced well before BP’s accident in the Gulf. It will be interesting to see whether Dawn will make a bigger push for the wildlife fund or promote a specific rescue package in the coming weeks.

Related:

+ Dove and the difficulty of an activist approach
+ Dawn wildlife microsite