Ad agencies step away from oil and gas in echo of cigarette exodus

Guy Hayward, global chief executive of Forsman & Bodenfors, an international ad agency, said its New York office has signed a pledge to no longer work for oil and gas producers

It’s night. A little boy opens the door to his father’s room. “Dad, I’m scared,” he says. The father carries the boy back to his bed, tucks him in and clicks on a night light. “It’s only human to care for those we love,” says an offscreen voice, “and also help light their way.”

This is the start of a recent commercial for Chevron, which goes on to say that the company is bringing “affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy to America.” It is the kind of feel-good ad that has long drawn criticism from environmentalists, who argue such messaging, which they call