Lush is looking to spotlight the harm caused by big social media platforms in its new campaign, which is now live across all of its stores in the UK, EU, USA and Canada.
The retailer left the major social media platforms, Snapchat, X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook almost five years ago. And since then, the platforms have been accused of creating their platforms to be addictive by design.
And governments worldwide have introduced legislation to alleviate the harm. In the UK, social media has been banned for the under 16s.
Andrew Butler, Lush campaigns manager said: “For many of us social media was a seemingly harmless way to connect with people, to document and share moments in our lives. Along the way things took a sinister turn, as social media companies seemed to prioritised profit over the wellbeing of the people using their platforms.
“Who hasn’t found themselves doom scrolling and wondering why they can’t stop? Turns out the platforms are addictive by design, keeping us scrolling so our data can be harvested and monetized.”
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Lush has unveiled a new website, Safer Socials, with resources and links to organisations who are advocating for safer socials. It also provides advice on how to build healthy social media habits and a timeline of Lush’s Digital Rights work.
To support the campaign, the retailer is selling a new product, a Ctrl shower gummy, with 75 per cent of the sale price being donated to groups working towards safer socials.
He added: “When we see the proliferation of hate speech online, that spills into violence on our streets, where is the accountability for those who allow this to happen on the platforms they own?
“This campaign hopes to engage people in conversations about what social media has become and how we might be able to work together to stop the harms currently being caused and build a better, safer, digital future instead.”
Lush is nominated for Brand Partnership of the Year at the 2026 RG Excellence Awards for its Super Mario Bros collaboration. In a recent exclusive interview with Retail Gazette, Hannah Johnston-Cree, chief marketing lead for Lush collaborations, explains how collaborations help the retailer to reach new audiences and introduce them to the brand.
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