Polina Zabrodskaya, a former creative partner at British advertising agency AMV BBDO, says she raised concerns about environmental claims used in campaigns for Mars brands Galaxy and Sheba. The campaigns relied in part on certifications including Rainforest Alliance and the Marine Stewardship Council, while Zabrodskaya’s own research allegedly identified child labor risks in cocoa supply chains and environmentally damaging fishing practices. She argues that the certifications and resulting advertising could mislead consumers about the products’ sustainability.
Zabrodskaya says that after making internal complaints she was excluded from meetings, removed from responsibilities, criticised and eventually suspended before leaving the agency in 2024. In 2025 she brought proceedings before a labour court alleging unfair dismissal and retaliation; AMV BBDO and Mars’s positions are not provided in the source. Financial Times and DeSmog reported her account, with legal support from Equal Justice Solicitors and Doughty Street Chambers. The litigation and greenwashing allegations are unresolved, so no finding of unlawful retaliation or deceptive advertising is established here.
