Big Oil Arts Organiser

We’re seeking a highly-motivated arts campaigner to support our work in reducing the environmentalharms caused by advertising. You will become an expert in the tactics used by major oil firms tomaintain their social licence to operate, including advertising, PR and lobbying; as well asco-developing creative interventions and strategies to counter these. You’ll keep a watching briefon how Big Oil firms respond to cultural and political trends regarding climate and net zero,attend coalition meetings in Britain and mainland Europe and join a growing movement to end thegreenwashing practices of the world’s worst polluters.

About Adfree Cities

Adfree Cities is a network of ‘Adblock’ groups in UK cities. We build grassroots power to oppose plans for new billboards and showcase community arts, nature and ad-free space as alternatives to corporate outdoor advertising. We lobby for policy change at a local and national level and work with a growing network of allies to raise awareness and reduce the social and environmental harms caused by advertising. In particular, we work closely with the Badvertising campaign to stop adverts fuelling the climate emergency. In the last two years we have led on complaints leading to a number of misleading greenwash adverts by Shell, HSBC and Toyota being banned by the UK advertising regulator. See our press coverage here.

What we do:

• Hold the line: We stop new advertising sites in our cities. We support residents and community groups to oppose planning applications for new digital billboards.
• Positive alternatives: We showcase arts, nature and ad-free space as positive alternatives to corporate advertising.
• Movement building: We produce resources, train new organisers and run events to raise awareness about the impacts of corporate advertising on mental health, wellbeing, environmental damage, climate breakdown, body image and the local economy. We also contribute to international coalitions working to reduce the harms caused by advertising.
• Lobby for change: We engage in a constructive dialogue with the advertising regulator, local councils and MPs to strengthen the regulation and legislation of advertising.

We are currently a team of six part-time staff based in Bristol. Read more about us.

We are an official partner to the Badvertising campaign which aims to stop advertising fuelling the climate emergency. This includes ads and sponsorships for cars, airline flights and fossil fuels. Badvertising is a project run by the New Weather Institute and climate charity Possible in partnership with Adfree Cities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in the tactics used by major UK oil firms to maintain their social licence to operate, including outdoor advertising campaigns.
• Liaise with other movement actors working to end the advertising and marketing practices of major fossil fuel companies (Big Oil), especially UK-headquartered firms 
• Co-create artistic interventions to expose misleading greenwash practices of major oil firms. Examples and inspiration from other groups include Darren Cullen’s Hell Bus, Glimpse’s spoof advertising agency Atmospheric, Brandalism’s ‘subvertising’ campaigns, Badvertising’s Ministry for the Climate Emergency, Fossil Free London’s street protests and Channel 4’s documentary Joe Lycett vs the Oil Giant. 
• Maintain a ‘watching brief’ on the major political, marketing and policy movements of UK-headquartered oil firms, for example through news articles and social media. (e.g new partnership and sponsorship announcements, business decisions or new advertising campaigns)
• Support our policy team in engaging councils wishing to implement a ban on advertising and sponsorship for high carbon products.
• Assist with the International Week against Aviation Advertising & Sponsorship 15 – 22nd April 2024.
• Assist with creative interventions against the greenwash advertising practices of fossil fuel financiers.
• Assist with interventions in support of the Make Amazon Pay coalition in Autumn 2024.

How to apply

• Send your CV and a covering letter or email describing why you want this role and outlining how your skills and experience match the job description to hello [at] adfreecities.org.uk.
• Please also complete the equal opportunities monitoring form. This is anonymous and will not be linked to your application.
• If you have any queries about the role, please feel free to request a brief phone call via hello [at] adfreecities.org.uk
• Interviews will be held in person in our Bristol office on Thursday 15th February in central Bristol.

Applications for remote working will be considered from exceptional candidates but we will prefer applicants who are able to work in person from our central Bristol office (three days per week).