Trafigura and its misleading ads

Summary: This article scrutinizes Trafigura’s PR campaign in the Netherlands, where it ran newspaper ads asserting its ethical conduct in West Africa. The Dutch advertising standards authority found the headlines misleading, particularly in light of the company's role in the 2006 Ivory Coast toxic waste scandal. The company had previously dumped hazardous waste, triggering health crises and the largest personal injury claim ever filed in the UK. Trafigura's subsequent legal tactics — including attempting to gag The Guardian and a UK MP — led to widespread outrage and the popularization of the term “superinjunction.” The company's decision to target Dutch audiences for reputation repair is seen as ironic since the Netherlands had initially rejected the Probo Koala ship’s waste before it was rerouted to Africa. Despite being prosecuted in the Netherlands, Trafigura insisted its ads were not substantively misleading, although Greenpeace criticized them for public deception during ongoing criminal proceedings. The situation underscored Trafigura’s aggressive use of media and legal tools to manage its image amid scandal​.

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Source: The Guardian