Hijack Your Emotions
The controversial advertisement titled Twin Towers released in May 2005, designed for the Nicolas Hulot Foundation- a French environmental awareness organization, is a hard-hitting and provocative advertisement that has effectively shown that to nature, we are all daily terrorists. The advertisement reproduces the iconic 9/11 terrorist attack scene, showing two trees being attacked in the same fashion as the World Trade Centre was attacked, carrying the message: “For nature, everyday is 9/11”. In order to build this argument, that nature is being attacked daily and is in dire need of conservation, rhetoric figures (primarily pathos and subsequently ethos and logos) are utilized. They are intentional and structured in a manner to persuade the audience in the most effective way. The image of the Twin Tower advertisement (Foundation Nicolas Hulot: 9/11 2012) can be seen in Figure 1.
The audience is specific to all that have witnessed the events of 9/11, and are not sceptical that the event occurred. It is essential the viewer recognizes the 9/11 reference, as the entire art direction is directed by the iconic scene of the attack on the Twin Towers. It can be generalised that the vast majority of first and second world countries (if not the entire ‘world’) have, at least, seen this iconic image of flames erupting from the South Tower of the World Trade Centre, seen in Figure 2 (9/11 - 10 Years 2011) plastered across their television screen at least once, therefore creating a wide audience base. However, there is alienation of many people the ad is trying to influence, such as extreme pro-life activists in the US or those who believe 9/11 should be taboo in advertising. Yet amongst advertising agencies today there is wide understanding and acceptance that nothing is taboo. 9/11 is a reference for the entire world to use. Further conflicting audiences are those who believe climate change is fake or too far in the future to care about, or on the other hand those that
The audience is specific to all that have witnessed the events of 9/11, and are not sceptical that the event occurred. It is essential the viewer recognizes the 9/11 reference, as the entire art direction is directed by the iconic scene of the attack on the Twin Towers. It can be generalised that the vast majority of first and second world countries (if not the entire ‘world’) have, at least, seen this iconic image of flames erupting from the South Tower of the World Trade Centre, seen in Figure 2 (9/11 - 10 Years 2011) plastered across their television screen at least once, therefore creating a wide audience base. However, there is alienation of many people the ad is trying to influence, such as extreme pro-life activists in the US or those who believe 9/11 should be taboo in advertising. Yet amongst advertising agencies today there is wide understanding and acceptance that nothing is taboo. 9/11 is a reference for the entire world to use. Further conflicting audiences are those who believe climate change is fake or too far in the future to care about, or on the other hand those that
References: Bryan, Wilson. 2008. “Signs and Symbols.” Artforum 48 (2): 1-3. Proquest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au (accessed August 11, 2010) Cartwright, Lisa, and Marita Sturken Creative Advertising for NGO. 2012. “To preserve nature, every signature counts – Fondation Nicolas Hulot.” Accessed March 8, http://www.ads-ngo.com/tag/fondation-nicolas-hulot/ Foundation Nicolas Hulot: 9/11 Nicolas Hulot Foundation. 2012. Terra Viva Grants Directory. http://www.terravivagrants.org/Home/view-grant-makers/foundations-and-ngos/nicolas-hulot-foundation Nudd, Tim O’Sullivan, T., Hartley, J,. Saunders, D., Montgomery, M., Fiske, J. “Signification”. Key Concepts in Communication and Cultural Studies . New York: Routledge, 1994. Pricken, Mario. 2009. Creative Advertising, Ideas and Techniques From The Worlds Best Campaigns. New York: Thames & Hudson Inc. Shaw, Jacque. 2012. “Lecture 1: An Introduction.” PowerPoint lecture notes. Thorpe, Emily. 2010. Nicolas Hulot: Media for the Environment. French Media in the European Union. http://frenchmediastudies.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/nicolas-hulot-media-for-environment.html. 9/11- 10 Years. 2011. Flames Erupting from the South Tower of the World Trade Centre. My Opera. http://my.opera.com/thetomster/blog/2011/09/09/the-8th-day-9-11-10-years-part-2. Visual Signs and Symbols. 2012. TypePad. http://sender11.typepad.com/sender11/2008/09/visual-signs-an.html 7