Why 2020's Eco-Friendly Branding Isn't Crunchy or Granola Anymore

Eco-friendly branding just got a makeover. Back in the day, crunchy, leafy branding used to denote environmentally friendly products—think Seventh Generation and Whole Foods.

But at the end of 2020, that seems to be changing.

Reduce, reuse…

Market research firm Buzzback told Marketing Brew that in an October 2017 study on the term “clean label,” it asked 921 U.S. respondents over the age of 14 what colors they most closely associated with the term.

• 35% said white
• 30% said green
• 17% said blue

ThredUp, the thrift retail brand, just got a very modern Red Antler rebrand—but there’s not a leaf or anything Seventh Generation-esque in sight.

• The rebrand aligns with Buzzback's research: The core color palette is white, green, and blue, letting consumers know that ThredUp is good for the planet.
• But “the rebrand also includes colorful, body-inclusive photography and graphics as well as new tone, typography and iconography that target Gen Z because of their tendency to shop eco-friendly,” per Adweek.

Zoom out: It’s pretty obvious that buying secondhand is good for the planet. But what might have been less obvious before the rebrand—especially to its Gen Z target audience—is whether ThredUp is the modern, hip place to do that thrifting.

+1: Simultaneously, Curiosity, the agency behind P&G’s Native natural deodorant, launched a new brand awareness campaign that “is looking to capitalize on [Native’s] growing retail footprint and expand beyond the ‘crunchy granola’ confines of natural personal care,” per Ad Age.

What’s driving the trend? 

Modern branding: As a secondhand clothing retailer, ThredUp is looking to make what’s old new again. Native’s new branding attempts something similar—convincing consumers that sustainable products really work.

• “What better way to show that than with bold, graphic visuals instead of this soft, earthy, granola-ey route?” Katie Gerdes, Curiosity creative director, told Ad Age regarding Native’s rebrand.

The pandemic: Covid-19 accelerated the number one consumer consideration when buying a cleaning product past its eco-friendliness and straight to its ability to kill germs, per a 2020 Buzzback market research survey among U.S. and UK adults.

My takeaway: ThredUp and Native’s new, bold branding includes the main colors consumers associate with clean, eco-friendly products. But jumping through hoops to include leaves and cardboard textures in sustainable branding might be a thing of the past.