Oatly's green ads were banned — it compared its best product to milk's worst number

In January 2021, Oatly launched its biggest UK campaign: two TV ads, paid social posts and national press ads, all built on environmental claims. The headline was that Oatly generates 73% less CO2e than milk. The social posts went further, claiming the dairy and meat industries emit more CO2e than all the world's planes, trains, cars and boats combined. The campaign drew 109 complaints, including from the campaign group A Greener World.

The ASA upheld four of five complaints. The 73% figure was real but narrow: it compared one product (Oatly Barista Edition) against whole cow's milk, while the ad implied it covered all Oatly products and all milk. The transport comparison used a full life cycle for meat and dairy but only direct-use emissions for transport, making the gap look larger than it was. A press claim that 'meat and dairy' account for more than half of food emissions quietly included eggs, fish and shellfish in the category.

The fourth upheld claim was the most revealing: Oatly stated that cutting dairy and meat was 'the single biggest lifestyle change' to reduce environmental impact, presenting one researcher's opinion as scientific consensus and dropping his qualifying word 'probably'. The ads were banned. Oatly said it would not repeat the transport claim.