The Guardian ·
Fossil fuel advertising contracts at all-time high in 2026
In year of extreme weather, ad agencies found to be building Big Oil’s image as integral to family life and security
“It’s that time of the year again,” the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company told Emiratis in a Ramadan advertising campaign. “Where tanks are always full – for night after night of majlis hopping.”
When you think about fossil fuels, you might think of offshore oil platforms flaring gas in rough seas, the US/Iran war or the greenhouse effect heating up the world’s climate. A new report argues, however, that what Big Oil wants you to think about is family, friends and faith instead.
The advertising industry campaign group Clean Creatives went through the records and found that in 2026, the year climate breakdown went so haywire gardeners were growing watermelons in Bristol, there were 1,321 active contracts between the fossil fuel industry and advertising agencies, the most ever recorded.
