How climate campaigns can cut through ad fatigue

Since November 2025, commuters at Southwark tube station in London have been passing walls lined with vintage-style posters parodying oil and gas^[1] advertising, instead of ads promoting flights or energy companies. One 1950s-style poster shows a woman holding a small yellow aeroplane as if it were a cigarette; another has the slogan: For a quicker climate crisis use … Fossil Ads.

This visibility and attention to the climate crisis is welcome. But with more campaigns competing for attention – often with conflicting messages – the effect can quickly become overwhelming. Messages designed to raise awareness or inspire action also trigger ad fatigue.

Ad fatigue is well recognised in marketing: when people encounter the same message too often, it loses impact. A growing body of research^[2] shows that repeated exposure to similar advertising messages has negative consequences within and beyond climate contexts. Climate ad fatigue refers to a decline in effectiveness when people become overexposed to climate-related messages.

Researchers like me are investigating how certain climate messages create fatigue. One study^[3] shows that people who already feel worn down by constant climate messaging can become even more fatigued after seeing one more headline. That added fatigue doesn’t only decrease their interest — it reduces compassion and reduces willingness to support climate action.

Another study^[5] highlights the role of attention. Paying attention to climate change is a precondition for climate-friendly action. But attention is easily disrupted. When people are stressed, distracted or overloaded with information, climate communication becomes something to tune out rather than engage with.

Despite rising fatigue, the advertising industry is expanding rapidly. Global ad spending is expected to reach US$1.17 trillion (£0.88 trillion) in 2025 up from roughly US$792 billion in 2024^[6]. Sustainability advertising^[7] represents a growing share as brands compete to position themselves as environmentally responsible.

Oil and gas companies have increased their climate-related communication^[8]. Although many of these campaigns focus on green initiatives or future sustainability goals, critics argue that the messaging can obscure ongoing fossil-fuel operations.

Transport for London records^[9] show that hundreds of oil and gas ads have run across its network in recent years. These campaigns reach millions of commuters.

Across the UK and Europe, campaign groups are pushing for limits on fossil-fuel ads in public spaces. Examples include ad-free city initiatives^[10] and petitions^[11] to prohibit such advertising altogether.

Comparisons with past tobacco advertising rules are becoming more common, with some arguing that fossil-fuel ads should face similar restrictions. The campaign at Southwark station by Badvertising, by a climate charity called Possible, reflects this wider movement.

Yet, as both sides escalate their advertising, the public risks becoming more fatigued. Research^[12] shows that people – especially children and young people – increasingly worry about the planet and often feel sad, anxious, powerless or guilty.

These emotional reactions mirror wider findings^[13] that fear-based or stress-inducing contexts often reduce responsible behaviour. Managing these emotions is important.

If climate ads are starting to grow and feel tiring, repeating the same crisis-driven messages can push people away. What keeps attention instead is relevance, creativity, and variety.

A report^[14] by thinktank ClimateXChange shows that climate messages work better when they are rooted in local realities, focused on solutions, and linked to clear, achievable actions. Storytelling^[15] plays a key role here, helping people see how climate change connects with their own lives, rather than something abstract and difficult to influence.

Creativity matters too. Research^[16] shows that creative ads, characterised by high divergence and relevance, is less likely to wear out over time. A report by a climate charity^[17] also suggests that using different frames, voices and formats – from personal stories to humour, visuals or creative perspectives – can help advertisers prevent fatigue in increasingly crowded media environments.

For the public, managing climate ad fatigue isn’t about disengaging. It is about being more selective where attention goes. People can choose to ignore climate messages that place responsibility mainly on individual behaviour, and instead engage with communications that point to systemic causes and collective solutions.

Campaigns such as the Southwark posters do this by shifting attention away from personal choice and toward the industries and regulatory systems. Public support for restrictions on fossil fuel ads, similar to those applied to tobacco, would reduce misleading messages at their source instead of placing the burden on people to filter them out.

References

1. ^{^} oil and gas (theconversation.com)
2. ^{^} research (academic.oup.com)
3. ^{^} study (journals.sagepub.com)
4. ^{^} CC BY-NC-ND (creativecommons.org)
5. ^{^} study (www.sciencedirect.com)
6. ^{^} US$1.17 trillion (£0.88 trillion) in 2025 up from roughly US$792 billion in 2024 (www.statista.com)
7. ^{^} Sustainability advertising (www.statista.com)
8. ^{^} climate-related communication (www.sciencedirect.com)
9. ^{^} Transport for London records (tfl.gov.uk)
10. ^{^} ad-free city initiatives (adfreecities.org.uk)
11. ^{^} petitions (petition.parliament.uk)
12. ^{^} Research (www.thelancet.com)
13. ^{^} findings (www.emerald.com)
14. ^{^} report (era.ed.ac.uk)
15. ^{^} Storytelling (link.springer.com)
16. ^{^} Research (link.springer.com)
17. ^{^} A report by a climate charity (papers.ssrn.com)
18. ^{^} Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. (theconversation.com)
19. ^{^} Join the 47,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far. (theconversation.com)