Marketing an ideal

A few days ago I saw an ad on TV for Chevron. It was interesting to me that Chevron wasn't promoting about their product or service but their viewpoint on the enviroment. The advertisement didn't show any 'special' effects but instead had a serious tone about how the enviroment stands at the moment and their beliefs what needs to be done in the future. In my opinion companies like General Electric are so big and known that they no longer need to market their product because either everyone knows about them or everyone uses them daily. But instead their marketing approach is evolved from product promotion to ideals. Multi-billion dollar companies want people to believe that their only objective is not just about profit but about our community and enviroment. This helps people to relate themselves to the companies and relate to what their product stands for. By having a common bond people are less likely to critize the company and more likely to buy their product.