Dentsu Media Mexico Pilots Sustainable Ad-Serving Model

Dentsu Media Mexico, part of the global dentsu group, has conducted a comparative pilot with technology startup ThanksToYou to measure the environmental impact of digital advertising using sustainable ad-serving technology. The test assessed whether carbon emissions could be reduced without affecting campaign reach or performance.

According to data cited in the study, digital advertising generates an estimated 85.2 million metric tons of CO₂ (mtCO₂) annually worldwide. The transmission of advertising creatives was identified as one of the main contributors to these emissions. In response, Dentsu Media Mexico launched a pilot to evaluate the potential for emissions reductions within digital advertising delivery.

The test consisted of running two parallel digital campaigns with identical parameters, including budget, targeting, format, and creative assets. Both campaigns used a 15-second high-definition video weighing 34 MB. The sole variable was the ad-serving technology: one campaign used a conventional ad server, while the other deployed ThanksToYou’s Green Ad Server.

The pilot was executed in real digital consumption environments and evaluated performance across three device types — desktop, tablet, and smartphone — three connection speeds (fast 4G, regular 4G, and slow 3G), and two web browsers. In total, 33 different contexts were analyzed to compare carbon emissions and data transmission efficiency.

The results showed that the Green Ad Server reduced CO₂ emissions by 34%, representing an estimated savings of 465 kilograms of carbon emissions. Data traffic was also reduced by 34%, equivalent to 236 gigabytes of lower data consumption. Emissions per ad impression declined by 38%, and in 91% of the tested contexts, the sustainable ad-serving technology outperformed the traditional alternative in efficiency.

The pilot was implemented within an always-on campaign designed to maintain continuous brand visibility. Dentsu Media Mexico said the approach is scalable and can be applied across different advertisers and campaign types without compromising effectiveness.

The initiative forms part of dentsu’s Sustainable Media framework, which addresses the environmental impact of the media industry. Dentsu estimates that the sector accounts for approximately 4% of global carbon emissions, a figure expected to increase in the absence of structural changes in how media is planned, delivered, and optimized.

As part of its Sustainable Growth Strategy, dentsu integrates media efficiency with carbon reduction objectives. Tools developed by the group include a Carbon Calculator to measure the environmental footprint of media plans and a Sustainability Schema that benchmarks advertisers’ maturity in sustainability practices.

At the Mexico Sustainability Summit 2024, Said Gil, CEO, Dentsu Creative emphasized the importance of transparency in corporate sustainability strategies. “In a world of more informed consumers, there’s both opportunity and risk. Companies may fall into greenwashing if they’re not transparent. It is essential to provide clear, truthful declarations about sustainable practices throughout the product’s value chain,” he said.