Culture

Here's every company that's pulled its advertising from Facebook

Unilever, Verizon, Coca-Cola — the call to boycott Facebook is gaining some serious momentum.

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When six prominent civil rights groups called for advertisers to stop buying Facebook ads for the month of July, no one could’ve anticipated just how successful the campaign would be, especially considering the limited success similar initiatives have had in the past. But it appears the current political climate combined with Facebook’s hands-off approach to fact-checking and censoring hate speech has inspired big corporations to take action, even if only to save face.

In a little over a week, the Stop Hate For Profit campaign has amassed enough corporate support to reduce Facebook’s overall market value by about $56 billion. The campaign argues Facebook hasn't done enough to curb hate speech, calls for violence, and misinformation. The social network’s shares were down by 8.3 percent on Friday — the largest drop in the past three months — the same day Coca-Cola announced it was suspending its ads. That’s set CEO Mark Zuckerberg's net worth back by more than $7.2 billion.

The full list of companies that have pulled their advertisements just keeps growing — so quickly, in fact, that the Stop Hate For Profit website now includes a message to “check back regularly for updates” to the list.

Not all of the companies pulling their ads are also aligned themselves with Stop Hate For Profit, and while some, like The North Face, have committed to pulling ads only for July and only from Facebook, others like Unilever haven't put an end-date on the decision and are also extending their boycott to include Twitter ads.

Below is a full list of the companies opting to stop spending money with Facebook for July at the least. We'll be updating this as more join on.

Disney — Disney pulled some of its spendings from Facebook and Instagram quite late in the game — July 18, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company has made no public statements on the matter (and likely won't).

Merck — Merck, a huge supplier of pharmaceuticals, joined the official campaign on July 2 and will pull all of its ads from Facebook and Instagram for an indefinite period.

"As a company, we are committed to stopping hate speech, racism and discrimination wherever we can," the company said in a statement. "As part of that commitment, we are calling on social media companies to do as much as they can to stop hate speech, racism and discrimination, and to create social media platforms that encourage sharing of accurate information."

PlayStation — Sony’s PlayStation brand will pause publishing on Facebook and Instagram. The company confirmed the move on July 2, telling GamesIndustry.biz: "In support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign, we have globally suspended our Facebook and Instagram activity, including advertising and non-paid content, until the end of July. We stand for working (and playing) together for good."

Canadian banks — Six of Canada's largest banks — Scotiabank, RBC, CIBC, BMO, TD, and National Bank — have signed on to the official boycott and will halt Facebook and Instagram ads through the end of July.

Lego — Lego's chief marketing officer, Julia Goldin, says the company is pausing all paid social media advertisements globally for the month of July. Lego has officially joined the Stop Hate For Profit campaign.

"We are committed to having a positive impact on children and the world they will inherit," Goldin stated. "That includes contributing to a positive, inclusive digital environment free from hate speech, discrimination and misinformation."

Target — Target will pull all Facebook and Instagram ads for the month of July, a spokesperson told NBC News. The company says it will use that time to re-evaluate its marketing plans for the rest of the year.

Microsoft — The tech giant has hit pause on all spending on both Facebook and Instagram worldwide according to an internal memo, Axios reported on yesterday. Microsoft has not made any public statement about the matter.

The company had previously suspended spending on Facebook and Instagram in the U.S. back in May over concerns about its ads appearing next to “inappropriate content.” Last year, Microsoft spent upwards of $115 million on Facebook ads.

Unilever — Unilever has pulled all ads from Facebook and Instagram, specifically on the grounds of Facebook’s lax hate speech enforcement. The company is also removing its ads from Twitter.

Unilever, which owns multiple household brands such as Dove soap and Lipton teas, is one of the world’s largest advertisers, spending more than $1 billion every year across various channels.

“Based on the current polarization and the election that we are having in the U.S., there needs to be much more enforcement in the area of hate speech,” Luis Di Como, Unilever’s executive VP of global media says.

Verizon — Verizon is pulling advertising from both Facebook and Instagram until the company “can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable.”

It’s estimated that Verizon spent more than $2 million on Facebook and Instagram advertising between May 22 and June 30 alone.

SAP — The software-maker is joining Stop Hate For Profit and suspending all paid advertisements across Facebook and Instagram "until the company signals a significant, action-driven commitment to combating the spread of hate speech and racism on its platforms."

Pfizer — Pfizer is pulling all Facebook and Instagram ads for the month of July.

“Today, we are asking Facebook to take proactive steps to ensure their platforms are safe and trusted spaces for all,” the pharmaceutical giant said in a statement.

Patagonia — Patagonia and the REI co-op are both pulling their Facebook and Instagram ads until at least the end of July. The company has officially signed on to the Stop Hate For Profit Campaign.

“For too long, Facebook has failed to take sufficient steps to stop the spread of hateful lies and dangerous propaganda on its platform,” wrote Cory Bayers, the company’s head of marketing, in a statement.

The North Face — The North Face was one of the first companies to officially join in on the Stop Hate For Profit boycott.

The company is pulling its ads from Facebook “until policies against racist, violent, or hateful content and misinformation are updated,” a spokesperson told Input. The company will continue to advertise on Instagram, though.

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Levi’s — Levi’s officially signed onto the Stop Hate For Profit campaign last week. The company is pulling all Facebook ads at least through the end of July.

It is in this spirit that we are voicing our concern about Facebook’s failure to stop the spread of misinformation and hate speech on its platform,” the company said in a post on its site. “We believe this inaction fuels racism and violence and also has the potential to threaten our democracy and the integrity of our elections.”

Eddie Bauer — Eddie Bauer is suspending all paid ads on Facebook and Instagram through the end of July as part of the official Stop Hate For Profit campaign.

Fossil — Fossil has paused all advertisements on Facebook and Instagram for the month of July as part of the boycott. The company will continue posting organic content on both platforms to stay engaged with customers.

Vans — The popular shoemaker won’t spend on Facebook and Instagram ads in July as part of the official boycott.

Vans says it will use that money to “support Black communities through empowerment and education programs.”

Adidas and Reebok — Both shoe companies, which are owned by the same parent company, are cutting Facebook and Instagram ad spending globally for the month of July as part of the official boycott.

Puma — Puma is joining the official Stop Hate For Profit campaign by stopping all advertisements on Instagram and Facebook through the end of July.

Lululemon — Lululemon is joining the official campaign by pausing all ads on Facebook and Instagram for the month of July. The company says it is “actively engaging with Facebook to seek meaningful change.”

Madewell — The clothing company joined the official campaign this week and is pausing all spending on Facebook and Instagram until the end of July.

“We won’t allow hate speech and misinformation to be spread across these platforms,” the company says.

JanSport — The popular backpack-maker has joined the official boycott and will be pulling all ads from Facebook and Instagram for the month of July. The company says it wants to "join the fight for stricter policies that keep racist, violent & hateful content from proliferating on these platforms."

Hershey — The beloved chocolate company told NPR it would be joining the boycott by pulling ads from Facebook for the month of July. Hershey will also cut its ad spending on Facebook by a third for the rest of the year.

"We do not believe that Facebook is effectively managing violent and divisive speech on their platform. Despite repeated assertions by Facebook to take action, we have not seen meaningful change," says Jill Baskin, the company’s chief marketing officer.

Ben & Jerry’s — Ben & Jerry’s is pausing all paid advertising on both Facebook and Instagram as part of the official boycott.

“We call on Facebook, Inc. to take the clear and unequivocal actions called for by the campaign to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate,” the company wrote on its website.

ConAgra — The conglomerate that owns Slim Jim and Duncan Hines is pulling Facebook and Instagram advertising for the rest of the year. ConAgra has not signed onto the official boycott.

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Denny's — The popular restaurant chain is joining the Stop Hate For Profit campaign because it believes Facebook has not done enough to address hate speech and misinformation on its platforms. The company won't run ads on Facebook or Instagram through the end of July.

Beam Suntory — Maybe you've never heard of this one, but you have heard of its coveted children, Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. The company is pulling all ads on Instagram and Facebook through July as part of the official boycott. It says it will re-evaluate its ad portfolio after July.

Diageo — Diageo, the owner of popular alcohol brands like Bailey's, Captain Morgan, and Smirnoff, is pausing all paid advertising on all global social platforms beginning July 1 as part of the official boycott. The company did not say when it will resume advertising.

Pernod-Ricard — Pernod-Ricard, which owns popular alcohol brands like Absolut, Jameson, and Malibu, signed on to the official boycott and will pause advertising across all social media through July. The company is also working to create an app for consumers to report hate speech.

Starbucks — The coffee company is pulling all advertising from social media channels except YouTube. However, Starbucks isn’t officially joining the Stop Hate For Profit campaign.

Dunkin' — Dunkin' Brands, which owns both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins, has temporarily paused all advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The company says it is "in talks with Facebook about its plans to eliminate hate speech and to stop the spread of racist rhetoric and false information."

Blue Bottle Coffee — Blue Bottle is joining the Stop Hate Campaign and pulling all advertising from Facebook and Instagram for the month of July.

Coca-Cola — Coca-Cola has perhaps gone the furthest of any company thus far, calling for a pause on ad spending across all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.

“There is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media,” said CEO James Quincey in a statement.

Chobani — The yogurt company said on Twitter that it will be joining the Stop Hate For Profit campaign. It’s not clear how long the company plans to extend its boycott.

“We’ve always stood against hate and bigotry and it is our duty to help change these platforms,” the company stated.

Best Buy — Best Buy told Forbes that it will be joining the official boycott by pulling all ads from Facebook and Instagram for the month of July.

HP — HP is stopping U.S. advertising on Facebook and Instagram until it sees “more robust safeguards in place.”

Like Microsoft, HP’s main concern is that its ads are appearing next to hateful content. The company has not mentioned signing onto the official campaign.

Clorox — Clorox is working hard to keep us clean during the ongoing pandemic. It’s also pulling all ads from Facebook through the end of 2020 because hate speech on the platform “creates an increasingly unhealthy environment for people and our purpose-driven brands.”

The company has not made specific mention of joining the Stop Hate For Profit campaign.

Honda — Honda is pulling all ads from both Facebook and Instagram for the month of July to “stand with people united against hate and racism.” The Stop Hate For Profit campaign lists the automaker as an official participant in the boycott.

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Ford — Ford says it is pulling ads from all social media for the month of July to re-evaluate its online presence.

“The existence of content that includes hate speech, violence, and racial injustice on social platforms needs to be eradicated,” the company says.

Birchbox — The popular subscription beauty box company is supporting the official boycott by hitting pause on all Facebook and Instagram ads through the end of July. It plans to use those funds to support more individual content creators.

"We believe in every individual's ability to change, and we are hopeful that the leadership team at Facebook will choose to prioritize people over profits," the company said.

Truth Initiative — The nonprofit known best for its anti-vaping ads is cutting all Facebook and Instagram ads for the month of July as part of the official boycott.

"In taking this action, we call on the social media giant to take immediate measures to stop the spread of hate speech, misinformation and dangerous propaganda threatening free and fair elections," says Robin Koval, CEO of the Truth Initiative.

The list of companies joining the Facebook ad boycott is still growing. You can check out the full list of participating companies specifically aligning themselves with Stop Hate For Profit here.