brownwash

English

Etymology

brown (“best colour to cover up dirt”) +‎ -wash.

Verb

brownwash (third-person singular simple present brownwashes, present participle brownwashing, simple past and past participle brownwashed)

1. (rare) To rebrand, cover up or divert attention from amoral, illicit or criminal activities by establishing partnerships or connections with legitimate, value-based organizations e.g. NGOs.

   Company X are brownwashing when they say they are partners with child rights NGO Y, yet employ child labor in their factories in Country Z.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Coordinate terms

• whitewash
• greenwash