#EcoTok or #EkoFake? - Storytelling and manipulation around ecology - popculture, climate and brands that want to be green 2600-EESME(KZ)-OG

The course is interactive, including case studies (e.g., Patagonia vs. H&M; TikTok eco-trends), workshops on media analysis, identifying greenwashing, discussions, and creating your own pro-ecological narratives.

Course Topics:
1. Green Storytelling – What is it and why does it work? Definitions and origins of ecological narratives – e.g., the Earth Day movement and its narrative foundations. Elements of an effective pro-ecological story – hero archetypes, nature metaphors. Example: National Geographic’s “Planet or Plastic?” campaign and the visual power of its message.
2. Eco-trends on TikTok and Instagram. The short video format as a vehicle for eco-education – #zerowaste, #sustainablefashion. Micro-influencers and their role in changing habits – e.g., @ecotok_pl, @venilakostis, @sustainably_vegan. Examples of viral educational TikToks that inspired young people to change behaviors.
3. Greenwashing – Definitions, forms, and strategies. The “sins” of greenwashing according to the TerraChoice report – e.g., “unverifiable claims.” Campaign analysis: H&M Conscious Collection, Shell’s “net zero by 2050.” Legal and reputational consequences of greenwashing – the Ryanair case and its “eco fleet.”
4. Catastrophism vs. Eco-optimism – Narratives of the future. Apocalyptic climate visions – e.g., “Years of Living Dangerously”, “Don’t Look Up.” Counter-narratives: eco-technology, green urbanism, hopepunk movements. Comparing rhetoric: Greta Thunberg vs. Bill Gates (“How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”).
5. Netflix and Environmental Films – Entertainment or Education? Analysis of documentaries: “Cowspiracy”, “Seaspiracy”, “Our Planet.” Social effects of Netflix campaigns – the rise in plant-based diets. The role of emotions and visual aesthetics in building awareness (case study: “Okja”).
6. Brands and Eco-Fashion: Patagonia vs. H&M. Patagonia as an example of authenticity – the “Don’t buy this jacket” policy. H&M and controversies around eco-lines – accusations of greenwashing. Visual analysis of both brands’ campaigns: imagery, color schemes, slogans.
7. Memes and Irony in Eco-Messaging – Strength or Threat? The meme as a medium for environmental content – analysis of popular formats (e.g., “Nature is healing”). Irony as a defensive strategy – does it weaken the message? Examples of memes and Twitter commentary and their impact on public debate.
8. Sustainable Development – Fashion, Ideology, or Necessity? The UN concept of sustainable development and its critics (Redclift). Consumer movements vs. systemic change – e.g., minimalism, “degrowth.” Analysis of corporate CSR reports. Reception of ESG reporting in organizations and among consumers.
9. Climate Politics in Pop Culture – Heroes, Villains, Utopias. Eco-villain characters – Thanos, Lex Luthor (overpopulation, control motifs). Films and series about post-catastrophe worlds – “Wall-E”, “Snowpiercer”, “Black Mirror.” Utopian narratives in pop culture – “Tomorrowland”, “Avatar”, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.”
10. Eco-Consumption and its Paradoxes.
Can consumption be ethical? Analysis of “conscious capitalism.” Certified products – real change or marketing ploy? Example: Starbucks’ “Eco-cups” campaign and its criticism.
11. Critiques of Climate Alarmism – Lomborg, Tol, Shellenberger, and Nordhaus. Key theses of Lomborg’s work – reinterpretation of climate catastrophe data. Emotions vs. data – Shellenberger’s approach, Tol’s analysis. Reactions from scientific communities and Nordhaus’s alternative scenarios.
12. Climate Policy Under Scrutiny – False Alarm and the Copenhagen Consensus Analyses. Costs vs. effects – are current actions economically rational? Copenhagen Consensus recommendations – priorities for global investments. Technological and educational adaptation pathways as alternatives to emission reduction.
13. Algorithms and Ecology – What do Social Media Promote? How TikTok and Instagram algorithms operate in relation to eco-content. Examples of banning or promoting climate-related content. Analysis of data from Meta/Facebook Climate Science Center reports.
14. Eco-Education or Eco-Propaganda? Educational programs in schools – examples from Poland and Europe. NGOs and their materials – analysis of WWF and Greenpeace resources. When does education stop being neutral? Examples of controversies and debates.
15. Workshops: Campaign and Brand Analysis – Case Studies. Group work – selecting a brand (e.g., Ikea, BP, Coca-Cola, TooGoodToGo) and analyzing its strategies. Preparing an analysis of narratives, visuals, slogans, and distribution channels.

Term 2025Z:

None

Type of course

general courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Interest in social, media and environmental issues; basic ability to analyze visual and narrative messages

Course coordinators

Aleksandra Spik

Learning outcomes

Knowledge
Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to:
- demonstrate the ability to identify narrative and rhetorical techniques employed in eco-marketing communications (K_W01);
- recognize and critically assess examples of both effective and ineffective environmental campaigns (K_W01);
- possess knowledge of theories and models related to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) (K_W01);
- understand and explain the concept of greenwashing, including the ability to identify instances of greenwashing in the eco-marketing strategies of companies and organizations (K_W01).

Skills
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- interpret social, political, and ecological processes and phenomena, and evaluate their implications for organizational functioning (K_U02);
- independently and collaboratively prepare and conduct critical analyses of brand media campaigns with respect to their influence on ecological awareness (K_U03);
- effectively plan and organize both individual and group work related to the analysis of eco-marketing communications (K_U05);
- engage in continuous self-directed learning in the area of evaluating corporate climate policies (K_U06).

Attitudes
Upon completion of the course, the student will:
- demonstrate readiness to critically evaluate situations and phenomena associated with marketing communications within the market and the broader economy (K_K01);
- adhere to ethical standards in the design and implementation of pro-environmental campaigns within organizations (K_K03).

Assessment criteria

Knowledge learning outcomes will be assessed through in-class discussions, case studies, and group projects, as well as through pre- and post-tests.
Skill learning outcomes will be assessed on an ongoing basis through tasks and projects (individual and group) completed by participants during classes.
Attitude learning outcomes will be assessed through in-class discussions, group projects, and individual work completed during classes, as well as through pre- and post-tests.

The evaluation will be based on exercises as well as group and individual assignments, including case studies, analyses, and the completion of group and individual projects. In order to pass the course, students must obtain at least 60% of the total points available.

Grading scale:
0 – 60% – grade 2 (fail)
above 60% – 64% – grade 3 (satisfactory)
above 64% – 73% – grade 3.5 (satisfactory plus)
above 73% – 82% – grade 4 (good)
above 82% – 91% – grade 4.5 (good plus)
above 91% – 100% – grade 5 (very good)

Bibliography

Obligatory:
• Tkaczyk, M. (2019). Narratologia: Teoria narracji dla mediów i praktyki komunikacji. Warszawa: PWN.
• Górska, A. (2020). Visual storytelling: Sztuka opowiadania obrazem w komunikacji marketingowej. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu SWPS.
• Shellenberger, M. (2021). Apokalipsy nie będzie! Dlaczego klimatyczny alarmizm szkodzi nam wszystkim. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo CiS Supplementary
• Redclift, M. (2005). Sustainable development (1987–2005): An oxymoron comes of age. Sustainable Development, 13(4), 212–227.
• Hall, S. (2019). Potęga opowieści. Jak wykorzystać storytelling w komunikacji, marketingu i relacjach. Warszawa: MT Biznes.
• Lomborg, B. (2001). The skeptical environmentalist: Measuring the real state of the world. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Lomborg, B. (2020). False alarm: How climate change panic costs us trillions, hurts the poor, and fails to fix the planet. New York: Basic Books.
• Soper, K. (2008). Alternative hedonism: Ethical consumption and the politics of pleasure. Soundings, 38, 12–23
• Roguski, A. (2020) Zrozumieć social media. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Onepress
• Mazurek, K. (2020) Facebook. Od portalu społecznościowego do narzędzia polityki. Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu i. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie.

Term 2025Z:

None

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 2600-EESME(KZ)-OG in USOSweb