Greenwashed in Style? Zara’s ‘Join Life’ Campaign and the Illusion of Sustainability on Instagram

This study investigates how young consumers interpret sustainability messaging in fast fashion branding on social media. With a specific focus on Zara’s “Join Life” campaign on Instagram, the research explores how individuals aged 18 to 35 from Northern Europe perceive the credibility of these sustainability claims and whether they view the campaign as an instance of greenwashing. The theoretical framework's foundation is based on Agenda-Setting Theory (McCombs & Shaw, 1972), Framing Theory (Goffman, 1974), and Uses and Gratifications Theory (Ruggiero, 2000). These perspectives provide analytical tools to examine how visibility, message construction, and audience motivations shape the reception of digital sustainability narratives. The concept of greenwashing plays a central role in evaluating the potential gap between Zara’s marketing and its actual business practices. An online survey was distributed and completed by 161 participants to collect the data. The questionnaire covered Instagram usage patterns, familiarity with the “Join Life” campaign, perceived authenticity of its messages, trust in sustainability claims, and general attitudes toward the fashion industry. Age, gender, and country of residence were among the demographic variables included in the analysis. The results indicate that although Instagram is widely used among respondents, most had either not heard of or not seen Zara’s campaign. Respondents were mixed among those with responses, with a trend toward skepticism. Many questioned the campaign’s truthfulness, pointing to the opposition between Zara’s fast fashion model and its sustainability claims. The findings also suggest that third-party certifications and eco-labels enhance consumer trust, but influencer-driven promotion can undermine credibility for some users.