In a move that has left the entire public relations industry gasping for air (and possibly a stiff drink), Shell has once again turned to the wizards of spin at MSQ Partners. The London-based group, which joined Shell’s global agency roster back in 2022 and has been gamely polishing the oil major’s image ever since, now faces what industry insiders are calling “the Mount Everest of reputation management – if Everest were made of crude oil, blood, and decades of awkward court documents.”
MSQ’s own Stephen Maher once declared the firm “absolutely thrilled” to work with the “truly world class brand that is Shell.” One can only assume the thrill has since curdled into a low, constant humming of existential dread.
Because let’s be honest: this is not a rebrand. This is an exorcism. And the demons have resumes longer than a tanker of Nigerian crude.
A Brief, Highly Incomplete History of Why This Job Is a Nightmare
Start with the Nazi past. Sir Henri Deterding, the Dutch founder often called the “Napoleon of oil,” developed a soft spot for Hitler in the 1930s. He met the Führer, funneled support, and Shell’s German subsidiary Rhenania-Ossag obligingly purged Jewish board members and played ball with the regime. Shell fuel helped power both sides of the war in the finest “we’re just a neutral energy company” tradition. Modern Shell prefers not to dwell on this chapter. MSQ’s brief: “Make the 1930s look like a charming period of energetic European collaboration.”
Then came the 2004 reserves scandal – the corporate equivalent of claiming you had a full tank when you were actually running on fumes and lies. Shell overstated proved reserves by roughly 4.5 billion barrels (about 20–23%). Top executives exited stage left. Regulators handed out record fines. Shareholders sued. The company’s dual-board structure collapsed under the weight of its own creative accounting. MSQ’s challenge: “Position this as an early example of radical transparency and bold leadership.”
Sakhalin-2 deserves its own chapter in the “How Not to Do International Business” handbook. Shell poured years and billions into the Russian LNG project, only to watch Moscow gradually strong-arm it out of majority control. After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Shell announced a dramatic exit… and walked away with essentially nothing as Putin’s decree transferred the asset to a new Russian operator. Gazprom eventually scooped up the former Shell stake. MSQ’s task: “Frame the multi-billion-dollar write-down as a principled stand for democracy, preferably with soft lighting and a hopeful piano soundtrack.”
Nigeria remains the gift that keeps on litigating. Decades of oil spills in the Niger Delta, the Ogoni struggle, the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, ongoing English High Court cases over pollution in communities like Bille and Ogale, settlements, denials, and more spills. Shell has paid out, fought jurisdiction battles all the way to the UK Supreme Court, and still faces fresh claims. Recent internal documents disclosed in litigation have not exactly helped the “we’re responsible operators” narrative. MSQ’s mission: “Turn chronic environmental catastrophe and human rights controversies into a heartwarming story of community partnership and continuous improvement.”
Worker safety? Shell reports Goal Zero ambitions while contractors keep dying or getting crushed, burned, or maimed. Fines for crushed feet on North Sea gangways, propane releases causing severe burns, explosions at facilities, and ongoing process safety events form a steady drumbeat. MSQ’s creative brief: “Safety is our highest priority – please ignore the body count and the HSE prosecution records.”
And then there is the spying. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shell (alongside BP) used private intelligence firm Hakluyt – staffed with former MI6 types – to infiltrate and monitor Greenpeace and other campaigners. Agents posed as filmmakers and left-wing sympathisers. The goal: neutralise inconvenient activism. More recently, Shell has reached for SLAPP-style lawsuits against Greenpeace over peaceful platform occupations, demanding millions and permanent protest bans before eventually settling. MSQ’s assignment: “Portray rigorous competitive intelligence and robust legal defence of critical energy infrastructure. Soft focus. Preferably no trench coats.”
The MSQ Challenge, Ranked by Difficulty
1. Convince the public that a company with this track record is suddenly the face of the energy transition.
2. Make “we’re investing in lower-carbon solutions while still maximising oil and gas returns” sound coherent.
3. Produce campaigns that survive five minutes of fact-checking by anyone with internet access and a functioning memory.
4. Keep the account without the entire creative team developing stress-related facial tics.
Industry observers note that MSQ already has experience with fossil clients (including BP). Experience, however, is not the same as a miracle.
One anonymous PR veteran put it best: “This isn’t reputation management. This is reputation archaeology – carefully excavating layer after layer of scandal while trying to convince everyone the skeleton underneath is actually a green hydrogen pioneer.”
### Suggested Headlines for the Coming Campaigns
– “Shell: Powering Progress Since the 1930s (Some Chapters May Contain Historical Inaccuracies)”
– “From Reserves Overstatement to Net-Zero Ambition: A Journey of Continuous Learning”
– “Nigeria: Where Every Spill Is an Opportunity for Dialogue”
– “Sakhalin-2: The Exit Strategy That Wrote Itself”
– “We Used to Spy on Greenpeace. Now We Just Sue Them. Progress!”
– “Safety First (Results May Vary by Contractor Status and Geography)”
– “MSQ + Shell: Because Even the Most Toxic Brands Deserve a Second, Third, and Twenty-Seventh Chance”
In the end, one almost feels sorry for the creatives at MSQ. Almost. They signed up to sell the idea that one of the world’s most historically compromised oil majors is a force for good. That is not a communications brief. That is a dare.
Good luck, MSQ. You’re going to need every ounce of joined-up thinking, every influencer, every carefully worded press release, and possibly a time machine.
Shell, meanwhile, continues to produce oil, gas, profits, and – with any luck – slightly better headlines than the ones history keeps writing for it.
The satire writes itself. The PR, unfortunately, does not.
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