Student

Dr. Brookter

Paper 2: Analyzing a Visual Text

April 13, 2020

Advertising for Advocates: An Analysis of a Conservation Advertisement

How many advertisements do we see, hear, read and engage with on a daily basis? The simple answer is far too many. How many of those same ads make us stop and think about someone or something beyond ourselves and our small world? The simple answer is far too few. When considering the advertisements that stay with us, many will remember a vulgar ad filled with skin or imprisoned children or a catchy jingle, but every once in a while it is the simple and emotive that lingers and perhaps even changes a mind or too. One such advertisement is a print/web ad for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); the ad is recent and modern but the message is quite simple—would you treat your pet the way we treat our endangered wildlife? The ad, even in its simplicity, uses a myriad of emotional ties to affect its audience—personal connections with domestic pets, unexpressed guilt over apathetic attitudes toward endangered species, and fear for the future of our planet. The ad accomplishes much with very little and leaves the viewer contemplative, even, dare we say, motivated to act in some small way to give the animals we cannot see the help we so easily give those right in front of us.

The advertisement, as stated previously, is for the WCS and features a modern-looking kitchen background. In the center of the kitchen floor is a small rhinoceros, about the size of an adult beagle, standing in front of a dog food bowl with the name “Pluto” inscribed on it. The scene is very domestic, indicating the rhinoceros is your pet named Pluto standing in your kitchen munching on his/her rhino food. In the right-hand corner of the ad in simple print is the statement, “If he was your pet, you’d protect his habitat.” Below this tagline are two sentences in smaller font describing the plight of the Vietnamese Rhinoceros who, along with 11 other species of rhino, have gone extinct in different parts of the world. The ad concludes with the WCS logo and motto, “Here, we are wildly equal.” The purpose of this ad is to connect the audience with the animal via their own domestic pet, the only animal many modern individuals interact with on a regular basis. The ad features a very modern kitchen in the background, creating another connection to those who read magazines and spend ample time on the internet but spend very little time focusing on wildlife and their diminishing habitats.

Once the purpose of the ad is established, the next question is obviously who does this ad seek to sway with such a message? Clearly, poachers and corporate industrialists are not the audience (though they should be). Instead, the audience for this article is your average modern individual, male or female, particularly pet owners. With the rhinoceros featured dog-size, at a dog bowl, in a sleek granite counter-top and wood floor kitchen, the urban or suburban adult (college-educated and gainfully employed in a white-collar job) is the target audience. The ad is a visual reminder that in your home, at this very minute, sits an animal you love who could very well be in danger if not for your love and care. And if your special fur-person were endangered, would you not help protect and shelter them? The gentle swell of guilt is tangible as is the multiple connections with pet owners. The ad writers have accomplished a beautiful feat—appealing to the subset of the population who are young enough, smart enough, wealthy enough, empathetic enough and conscientious enough to see other animals in their own pets and to act on that love by donating money or volunteering their time to help save endangered animals. The assumptions made are not wrong—the young, educated, gainfully-employed population does, in the majority, have pets for companionship, consume print and web advertisements and feel the guilt of privilege for their own good luck in life…and what better way to assuage that guilt than to help a defenseless animal in danger of extinction?

In picking apart the advertisement, it becomes necessary to separate and highlight a few of the ads’ components. First, the use of a rhinoceros is important. A rhino, unlike an elephant or tiger, appears a bit dog-like in its appearance and demeanor—compact, with roughly the same appendages (save the horn), and docile unless provoked. Shrinking the rhino to the size of a domesticated dog brings the idea of the similarities between the two home to the viewer. The dog bowl is also of great consequence. Many young professionals with pets do spend outrageous amounts of money on them, including personalized bowls, beds, collars, etc. And the name Pluto…your friend (and mine) Mickey Mouse happens to have a dog named Pluto. And what young adult does not think fondly of Mickey and the gang? With the gentlest of nudges, the advertisement is discreetly propelling their audience toward conservation with reminders of their own pets, their own unnecessary spending habits and their own cherished childhood memories of Disney. The strategies are compelling but not overpowering. It would be quite easy for the ad to become pedantic and “preach” at the viewer to do more, be more and ultimately give more. However, the ad creator(s) toed the line by allowing the viewer to see their home, their pet and even a shadow of themselves in the ad without pointing fingers and raising eyebrows. Once the ad is consumed in its entirety, the viewer is left feeling wholesome, calm even, but left with the lingering thought—what can I do to help the animals I cannot see?

After viewing the ad, many will turn the page or walk on by the sign or billboard. These individuals are not the ad’s target audience and will not give a second glance to poor Pluto. Some, however, may turn back to that page or snap a pic of the sign or billboard because they need a second look. These individuals may think about the ad for a few moments but later delete the photo to make room on their phone. Still others may go home that evening to see their beloved pet and remember the odd-looking Pluto from the ad. Sitting on the couch they remember it again and in a few seconds and with a few descriptive words in a Google search, the ad is quickly located and leads them to the Wildlife Conservation Society website where they will see a notice of zoo closures due to COVID-19 quarantine and an icon where they can donate to help the animals. A quick donation and then it’s time to give Buddy the beagle an extra snuggle and a belly rub—this, ultimately, is where the ad leads and the purpose for which the ad was created. This ad is, above all else, a thought-provoking advertisement and with its target audience being active, open-minded, conscientious pet-owners, the thought is likely to turn into some sort of action to engage on behalf of endangered wildlife. The ad evokes empathy followed by concern; in the right cases, the concern will lead to action, primarily through donation but in some rare instances possibly advocation or volunteerism. It is, in the gentlest, most discreet way, a call to action.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of the ad cannot be underestimated. Proof of this is that in searching for an advertisement for this assignment, the author found himself lingering on this ad more than any other, more than the multitude of automobile, beverage, clothing and perfume ads which are far bolder, far more readily available and far more expensive to create and mass produce than this low-key Wildlife Conservation Society advertisement. This ad was compelling in its simplicity and its originality; it also can be a bit baffling until time is taken to sort out every aspect of the advertisement. The studiousness and reflective nature required to mull over and thoughtfully consume this ad is exactly why many, who are not the intended audience, will never look close enough to see that this particular Pluto is not actually a dog. The ad could have taken many routes, such as those that show raw images of rhinos after poachers have ripped their horns from their bodies, leaving them for dead as their calves mournfully look on. Graphic ads such as these are shocking and cause most to turn away from the horror and inhumanity visited on innocent wild animals for mere profit. Instead, the WCS took a different tack and used some tact. Rather than scaring or disgusting people in the hopes of their horror propelling them to act, the WCS led viewers down memory lane, reminding them of the fur-person anxiously awaiting their arrival home, the Disney trip they took in 4th grade, and the home they worked hard to build and enjoy. Then, with a gentle push from the ad, the viewer catches sight of an endangered animal, just in the periphery of their mind. So why not, since they can and really should be helping, give a little? So they do, they give to help the voiceless and endangered, to protect animals just like their own, to give Pluto and his brethren a safe haven…and to know that somehow, even in a small way, we can each help to save our planet.

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