Body Shop scores again in 'green' survey

By Katie Bird

- Last updated on GMT

UK-based The Body Shop has been nominated the 'greenest' British
brand by consumers who also voted Unilever's brand Dove into the
top ten.

The 2008 Image Power Green Brands Survey, run by Landor Associates Cohn & Wolfe and Penn, and Shoen & Berland Associates, gave the top spot to the cosmetics manufacturer and retailer for the second time.

Green image hasn't suffered from buyout The Body Shop, started by Anita Roddick in 1976, was one of the first cosmetics companies to call for a ban on animal testing in the industry.

The company also claims to ethically source ingredients, supporting development projects both abroad and at home.

L'Oreal bought the company in 2006 - a move that attracted criticism from consumers and industry players alike over fears that the company's ethical and environmental practices might be jeopardised.

However, the company's reputation has not been tainted by the buyout, reflected by the fact that consumers recently rated it as the 'greenest' UK brand.

Another personal care brand to come in the top ten was Unilever's Dove - a brand that has made a name for itself for its no nonsense advertising and criticisms of the industry that propagates unrealistic images of women.

The accolade will be music to the personal care giant's ears as it has recently been attacked for the allegedly hypocritical nature of its advertising campaigns.

Critics found its 'Real Beauty' campaign at odds with the overtly sexualised image of women portrayed in the adverts of another Unilever brand, Axe.

More recently the Anglo-Dutch company got into hot water when photograph retoucher Pascal Dangin claimed to have worked on the photos for the Real Beauty campaign.

Smaller steps more successful The remaining top ten brands were dominated by UK supermarkets for various 'green' initiatives such as the introduction of reusable bags and making consumers pay for plastic bags at the checkout.

This has prompted a number of analysts to suggest that manufacturers should concentrate on smaller tangible projects such as cutting the number of plastic bags rather than bigger issues when attempting to use the 'green' card in the development of its brands.

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