With COP26 just around the corner – as well as, one hopes, a greater appreciation of the climate emergency – brands are increasingly highlighting environmental cred in their ad campaigns.

Wagamama is a notable example. Its ad begins with the phrase ‘2021. Our planet is burning.’ True enough, but kind of a downer. How to leaven things? With an animated monster, Vegamama (Godzilla but cute, basically), which the ad shows destroying a city in the name of vengeance. He has laser eyes and a detachable arm, with which he explodes an oil rig.

Fortunately for humankind, a Wagamama’s patron pops out to lifelessly explain that “eating more plants is one of the most powerful things we can do to help our planet”. Our antihero stomps off to an amusingly wonky soundtrack, taking a bite out of a Wagamama’s billboard on the way.

It’s impressive stuff, but the point is to play up that the Wagamama’s menu is now 50% plant-based. How long will that percentage be deemed adequate?

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