Introduction
The World Wildlife Fund Inc. (WWF) is an independent conservation institution focused on stopping the loss of nature. The WWF operates in more than 100 nations, and its objective is to protect the natural world to benefit humanity and wildlife (World Wildlife Fund). The organization is part of a growing movement piling pressure on global leaders to ensure nature recovers fully by 2030 (World Wildlife Fund).
The WWF forms partnerships with governments, communities, and individuals to protect natural environments, promote sustainable production, and avert the mass extinction of endangered species. The organization’s determination to promote collaboration has resulted in strong and meaningful partnerships worldwide. For instance, the New Deal for Nature and People is a growing coalition of communities and organizations pushing world leaders to ensure that the planet is on a path to recovery by 2030 (World Wildlife Fund). The environmental billboard’s application of ethos, logos, and pathos emphasizes the urgency with which humanity must act to save its freshwater sources.
Analysis of Environmental Billboard
Description
A top-down assessment of the billboard reveals the image of a woman drinking clean water as it is poured into her hands from a bucket. The woman’s image is on the far right side of the billboard. She appears to be of Asian descent, and she has red and yellow earrings in her ears, which match the orange necklace around her neck. She is also wearing a silver wristwatch on her manicured left hand. Her orange patterned dress completes her rather tasteful ensemble.
A black and white image of a panda and the words WWF at the top right corner represent the WWF’s logo. There appears to be another woman in the middle background of the billboard. She is clad in a patterned dress featuring white, black, and purple drawings. Even though the rest of her body is obscured, she appears to be helping her friend get a drink. The bucket is tilted and emptied into the first woman’s cupped hands.
The phrase “love it or lose it” appears in bold letters when viewed from left to right. In addition, the phrase “Time is running out to protect our freshwater” appears clearly on the left side of the billboard.
Further emphasis is placed on “Act now,” which appears in bold orange. There is a distinct use of orange and white, making the words difficult to miss. It is worth noting that the left background is blurred, emphasizing the viewers’ focus on the words in the foreground.
Even though it is difficult to discern, the left background is the image of a stream that appears to be drying up. The woman’s cupped hands punctuate the middle of the image as fresh, clean water flows from the bucket and spills around the hands. The far right of the billboard is occupied by the image of the first woman, which has already been described in the preceding paragraph. Protecting natural resources is essential to ensure the planet’s systems function and the impending climate crisis is averted.
The billboard is mounted by the side of a busy highway, as evidenced by the light on the road. Telecommunication cables run beneath it and along the highway. Palm trees are under the billboard, and buildings line the road’s edge from left to right in the image. The sun’s last rays light the dark and cloudy sky. The clouds are dense and cover the entire sky above the billboard. The street is lit and busy, as are the adjoining buildings.
Audience
The billboard’s audience is the entirety of the human race, seeing as they are the planet’s most influential inhabitants. The implicit message in the billboard is the urgency with which humanity must act to safeguard its natural resources, such as freshwater sources. The image is designed to address concerns about the changing climate and pollution.
Human activity has destroyed natural environments through unsustainable food production measures and rampant industrialization. The billboard seeks to reiterate the importance of fresh, clean water and its role in safeguarding and maintaining life on the planet. The WWF has implemented numerous strategies to ensure it achieves its mission. The WWF’s global goals include implementing measures to safeguard nature, addressing food production and climate change, the biggest threats to nature, and the underlying drivers of nature loss. The implicit message in the billboard is that the planet’s freshwater resources are in danger of disappearing if humanity fails to act with haste.
Ethos
The billboard leverages ethos to persuade viewers that the organization behind the project is trustworthy. There is an apparent attempt to connect the image to a fundamental human right: access to clean, fresh water. The decisive use of ordinary imagery is intended to highlight that the problem under review will likely affect all individuals.
The WWF aims to halt the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and create a future in which humanity lives in congruence with nature. It aims to achieve the objective above by preserving the planet’s biodiversity, promoting renewable natural resources sustainably, and highlighting the need to reduce environmental pollution (World Wildlife Fund). It is also worth noting that using evidence and statistics from reliable sources tends to appeal to the audience. For instance, the billboard provides viewers access to a website from which they can read more about what the WWF is doing to protect freshwater sources.
The words used in the billboard reinforce the argument that plenty needs to be done to protect the planet’s natural resources. The phrase ‘love it or lose it’ appears in bold lettering to emphasize the urgency of the impending loss of freshwater sources. The phrase ‘act now’ appears in orange to create contrast and stress the importance of taking immediate action toward conservation efforts. The overall tone of the language is urgent, given the severity of the problem at hand.
Pathos
The objective of applying pathos is to appeal to the audience’s emotions. The image of the woman drinking water in her cupped hands demonstrates her ability to overcome adversity. She is not in her home. She has probably traveled far and is eager to quench her thirst using her hands.
The audience will likely empathize with her situation and be moved to make conscious decisions to conserve water and protect freshwater sources. The act of helping an individual in need by pouring water for them serves to evoke an emotional response in the audience. The billboard reinforces the importance of cooperation in the quest to address the planet’s most pressing issues.
The billboard’s graphics have a strong emotional appeal. The primary focus is the woman cupping her hands to drink water as it is poured from a bucket. She represents society’s most vulnerable populations, likely severely affected by limited access to fresh and clean water. The woman is modestly dressed, and unlike most other people who drink water from a bottle or a cup, she uses her hands. The partially manicured hands indicate that she works hard to earn a living.
Additional images on the billboard are designed to appeal to the audience’s emotions. The river bed in the left background is drying up. The scarce resources are getting even harder to access. The individual pouring the water in the background highlights the need for partnership in resolving the world’s problems. One of the WWF’s primary goals is to facilitate the protection of the natural world by appealing to people’s sense of urgency. The women are working together to utilize a scarce resource that is inaccessible to many around the world.
Logos
The billboard uses rational arguments to provoke action from the audience. The fact that time is running out to protect freshwater sources is emphasized through bold lettering and pops of orange and white. The billboard’s logical appeal is intended to stimulate intellect rather than emotion. Most of humanity understands that the planet is changing in ways that could soon be unsustainable for life.
Among the issues that need to be addressed is the loss of freshwater sources due to aggressive deforestation and pollution. These are facts that the WWF leverages to emphasize the fact that humanity is running out of time. All humanity must either love its natural resources or run the risk of losing them altogether. The WWF logo at the top right corner of the billboard is designed to emphasize that the message being communicated is credible and urgent.
Conclusion
The fact that the Earth’s freshwater sources are threatened is a foregone conclusion. The World Wildlife Fund is determined to guarantee the complete protection of the natural environment and facilitate a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. The WWF is responsible for taking action to protect nature, tackle food production challenges, and combat climate change, addressing the significant threats that are accelerating the loss of biodiversity.
The environmental advertisement appeals to its audience’s logical mind by highlighting facts and emotions through moving imagery. The WWF’s trustworthiness is highlighted by demonstrating a connection with the people. The message on the billboard is urgent, given the potential implications of limited access to fresh water. The successful use of ethos, logos, and pathos extends the billboard’s reach and appeal to an audience that must recognize the importance of preserving all freshwater sources.
Work Cited
World Wildlife Fund. About WWF, 2020, Web.