Green laundry brand seeks eco-friendly ad agency

Eco-friendly Swedish laundry brand Footprint is seeking a “green” advertising agency for its UK launch.

Footprint, which claims to be Sweden’s leading laundry brand, is set to introduce a range of washing powders and fabric conditioners to the UK later this year. The company plans an advertising push for early 2008 but insists that any agency it works with must be “carbon neutral” and share its ethical philosophy.

Footprint founder Gemma Clarke says: “We are researching agencies for their ethical and environmental positioning.”

Clarke believes it is crucial for Footprint to assess agencies on this basis. She says: “It is critical to convey the right message. ‘Green’ consumers are among the most informed and sceptical, they will soon cry ‘greenwash’ if they doubt integrity.”

Clarke says the initial six-figure advertising budget will rise incrementally as further products are introduced to the UK range later in 2008.

The Footprint range was created by Swedish environmental technologists and has been on sale, under the brand name Rent, in Scandinavia for eight years.

Preston-based Clarke, who travelled widely as an environmental consultant, discovered the range there and has obtained global licensing for the products. She believes that the UK market for eco-friendly products will in-crease over the next few years as consumers place greater priority on the green credentials of products they use.

The eco-friendly household products category, in particular, is set to expand in 2008. Procter & Gamble is thought to be working on a range of “green” products and Reckitt Benckiser is believed to be close to launching an eco-friendly laundry detergent (MW August 9).