Exposing the truth behind fossil fuel ads

  • Data Visualization Identity
  • Chart Design
  • Presentation Design & Template
  • Visual Guidelines
  • Data Storytelling

In the battle against climate change, misinformation is the invisible enemy. Climate denial and greenwashing operate in shadows, systematically manipulating public opinion and policy.

The Was

The climate misinformation landscape is deliberately confusing. PR firms and advertising agencies deploy sophisticated tactics borrowed from the tobacco industry playbook to delay action and maintain the status quo. For the average person, connecting these dots is nearly impossible. Dense research reports and technical analyses identify the networks of denial but struggle to capture public attention or translate into meaningful action.

Christine Arena came to us with powerful research exposing how PR industry tactics systematically undermine climate progress. As founder of Generous Films and a trusted voice before U.S. Senate committees, she needed a visual language that could make these invisible mechanisms visible, transforming technical findings into compelling evidence that would drive accountability at the highest levels.

The How

The visual identity centered on exposing hidden patterns of deception and delay through metaphorical visualization that balances emotional impact with analytical rigor.

We created a visual system that turns abstract concepts into tangible revelations. Echo chambers ripple with misinformation. Autumn leaves reveal the subtle shades of greenwashing. Stark comparisons between tobacco and fossil fuel emissions expose parallel tactics of denial. Black and white photography establishes historical context, while electric neons highlight key patterns of deception.

The visual identity was applied to:

  • Data visualizations & Diagrams revealing common delay tactics and key data points showing the impact of those lies
  • Presentation designs & templates that engage policymakers while energizing activists, optimized for sharing findings

Together, those assets support Christine's mission to drive accountability and change at the highest levels of government and industry.

Collage of different charts in the style of Moody's.
Mockup of a mobile screen showing a stacked area chart in the style of Moody's.
Example of divergent chart in the style of Moody's.
Example of hexagonal map in Moody's brand style.Focus on an annotation on a line chart in Moody's brand style.
Map from
Example of Circle Area chart in the style of Moody's
Mockup of the Moody's Data Visualization Guidelines as a laid down presentation.

Fossil fuel companies' decades-long campaign of climate disinformation represents the greatest heist of public opinion and public policy, and the gravest ethical crisis in the PR and ad industry's history.

— Christine Arena, PR whistleblower

Todd Lindeman, pointing a screen displaying data visualization.
Example of a stacked horizontal bar chart using small multiples in Moody's style.
Extract of the Color Accessibility page in Moody's Data Visualization Guidelines.
Mockup of a editorial data visualization in Moody's style using gradient displayed in open book.

Thank you

Thank you so much for your trust Christine.

Credits

Gabrielle Merite - Creative Direction & Design