All I Wanna Say Is That We Don't Really Care About Us

Considering how we tend to deal with our environmental issues, perhaps that should have been the title of Michael Jackson's 1995 pop-classic in stead. We seldom think of ourselves as selfish, self-serving, ego-driven individuals, and therefore we fail to see the bigger picture.  When we finally do, it's often too late.

Of all the many ways in which we have evolved it would seem that the concept of 'self' is proving to do more harm, than good. Ironic how this knowledge is quite conveniently ignored in order that 'self' may continue in it's state of woeful bliss. It seems that the idea of self-knowledge is not without a sense of irony, and that the term as we generally understand it, is perhaps asking for a completely different interpretation altogether.

I'm reviewing three print ads this week. All three of them were done by different agencies. Being 'green' is a hot topic all over the world right now, and rightly so. It's for this reason that I decided to look at the different interpretations of more or less the same message. 

 

The first print ad cleverly portrays the current situation with regards to global warming and

the concerns associated with it in terms of the melting of the polar ice-caps. There is definitely an insight and a concept in this ad and it centers around time.

I like the fact that the their proposition suggests that we need to pay attention to what we do with the time we have, or might have left. Everything seems to complement each other well; the concept of time portrayed by the hourglass, the rising water level as a consequence to time running out, but more importantly, the fact that although it might seem like we are worlds apart from certain places, the reality is that what we do, or neglect to do, can possibly have a negative result in 'your world'. That's a real insight to consider and this ad communicates it well.

Also, the effiency at which the world of the city seems to be operating in its half of the hourglass, can be allowed to 'run through' to the other side, and bring the dynamic, successful energy that we associate with a city to another place that can really do with it. 

 

I'm not sure if I entirely agree with the headline of the second ad, 'Humanity and nature are one.' I think the message could have been more clear and powerful if the visual and the copy complemented each other better. Perhaps with something like, 'Deforestation. It's in your hands.' There's definitely an insight into the concept of life with the arm clearly that of an elderly person and an old tree that still gives us life, no matter its age. Unfortunately I have to admit that I feel slightly disappointed with the final result. 

 

The translation of the third ad's headline is: 'Preventing suffering today not tomorrow.'

Prevention will always be better than cure. As I mentioned earlier, it's sad that things often have to take a turn for the worst first before sound measures are implemented to turn them around. With this ad we are reminded of this reality once again.

The 'save now or cry later' concept is insightful and true. Most parents will do anything to protect their child from pain, and this print is a thought provoking way to show us as grown-ups that we have a responsibility as to how we go about dealing with situations that we don't consider a threat now, but that may result in pain for our children later. 

The simplicity of the ad along with it's intended message is clear and relevant. There might be different executions in the future, unfortunately due to our nature, this concept will remain in tact.