(In)direct impact: the role of agencies in doing good

In 2025, we joined a group of initiatives that bring together creatives, agencies and brands across the industry to collaborate on a more sustainable future. Being part of the Ethical Agency Alliance, Clean Creatives and Creatives for Climate has not only solidified our commitment to using our expertise to help meaningful causes but raised a wider question of how much responsibility agencies have when it comes to making an impact for our planet.

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The illusion of neutrality

Agencies like to think they sit at a safe distance from the real impacts of climate change and sustainability, that they are simply a means to an end, hired to execute a brief and move on. Whilst agencies have creative say and input, the overarching decisions are made in-house. Regardless of the client, the agency is only seen as the messenger, and not the actor actively causing harm — whether to the planet, or its people. 

And regardless of the message, campaign success is based on creativity and KPIs… right? 

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The creative landscape shift

Every brand needs some form of creative assistance, especially those trying to conceal the harm their business is causing. This places a lot of power in the hands of those providing said creative help — agencies. 

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And the role of the agency is changing. The growth of digital platforms has increased transparency, and it’s harder for agencies to sneak their name in the fine print without the audience realising. We are more out in the open than ever, in front of audiences that are increasingly critical of everything they see. With this exposure comes responsibility. We are already seeing agencies like Havas called out for working on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Edelman involvement in fossil fuel advertising exposed. 

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This begs the question: Who’s next?

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Whilst the legacy giants still hold a lot of power, independent and small creative houses are changing how we view our role as creatives — they’re speaking up and calling out, not afraid to fight for more ethical practice. And, if smaller agencies can refuse to work with businesses inherently harmful to our planet and people, what excuse can larger agencies possibly have?

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The challenge of money vs. having a say

Easier said than done, of course. If sustainability paid like oil and gas, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Adding on budget cuts, increased use of AI in creative fields and general disbelief in creativity amongst business executives, we know that it’s a great privilege to be selective about the clients you take on. 

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We feel this tension ourselves — the constant balance between financial viability and mission alignment. Ethical clarity comes at a cost, and pretending otherwise helps no one. 

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But this doesn’t mean that the only other option is to continue with business as usual. For most agencies, the real work happens in the grey space — not between good and bad, but between influence and silence. Where we join collectives and alliances to together call on agencies and creatives to do better.

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What does ‘doing good’ mean?

As with many things, acting ethically is a spectrum. There is no clear line between right and wrong, good or bad. The focus should instead be on doing the best we can, with the available information. Doing good isn’t about working against a template of the perfectly ethical client; it’s about using our expertise honestly, questioning the status quo and gathering all the information we can. It’s about calling out initiatives when they only serve marketing purposes, helping businesses with honest missions do honest work, and finding our own way to contribute to a better planet. 

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And most importantly, it’s about continuing to learn and do better. We cannot act as if agencies are neutral intermediaries, because they’re not. Our work shapes narratives, enables behaviour and amplifies stories, which makes us active participants. Whether we like it or not.