Prism+ had Xiaxue 'save the earth' at 23°C — Singapore's first greenwashing ruling

Prism+, a Singapore consumer-electronics maker, ran a video campaign for its 'Prism+ zero smart air-con' featuring influencer Wendy Cheng — better known as Xiaxue — 'on a mission to save the earth'. In the video she puts on winter wear and sets the unit to 23 degrees Celsius, with the caption 'Save Earth and electricity with 5 ticks energy saving', a reference to Singapore's five-tick energy-efficiency classification.

In December 2023 the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) found the ad 'not acceptable', breaching the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP). ASAS singled out the claim that using Prism+ air-conditioners was the 'best tip' to 'save the earth' and the depiction of 23°C as the way to do it. The council's chairman said such claims are unacceptable 'irrespective of whether they can be demonstrated, in view of the energy such appliances consume'. It was the first time ASAS had found a company in breach of the code for greenwashing.

The campaign ran on Instagram from 17 October to 19 November; the video was only pulled after ASAS notified Prism+ on 5 December. Prism+ defended the ad as 'playful and tongue-in-cheek' and its theme as 'satirical humour', insisting that energy savings are not a key selling point — 'everyone sells five-tick air-cons now'. SCAP is voluntary in Singapore, so the ruling carried no fine, but ASAS can refer offenders to the Consumers Association of Singapore for action under the law.