On a relaxing getaway to the beach, you would probably not want to be anywhere in proximity to a gigantic, carnivorous shark in the ocean. In 2015, a study revealed that just over half of all Americans (51%) are “terrified” of sharks. This shared fear of this ferocious fish could be considered a commonplace among the public, as we are trained by the media and natural instinct that sharks are dangerous and that we must stay far away from shark infested water. Yes, that is probably the smartest option in order to remain uneaten. But, imagine there were no sharks. The danger is gone, right? As the ad suggests, no sharks in the ocean is likely “more dangerous” to us. With some background on climate change and negative human impact, these concepts apply to the modern extinction of sharks. Overfishing causes millions of sharks to be slaughtered a year. Sharks being killed off from our ocean ecosystems as a result of human impact suggests an issue of rising numbers of ruined habitats, pollution, spreading diseases, and contaminated water.
Reflecting on the ad, it appeals mostly to the sustainability goals of protecting life below water, clean water and sanitation, and good health and well-being. The message of the ad is calling for viewers to realize the impending danger extinction poses to us humans. If we, as humans, keep up our fatal actions, we are not only causing danger to a “scary” species, but also OUR own species.
With the three impactful words, minimalistic pictures, and a strong message, the rhetorical analysis of the ad is based upon commonplace. Our fear of ferocity is the commonplace, as well as a fear for our future and the health of the planet. Viewers can relate to both fears, which calls for action upon sustainability. The predicted impact of this ad was most likely to shock viewers and set in realization of our actions as people.
I personally have a HUGE fear of sharks, but I can agree that not having them at all is super upsetting and is a huge problem. My RCL post was also talking about the environment, but more so on the pollution side. I like that the ad said only three words but posed a huge message. I don’t think it would have been as effective if there were a paragraph of words.
This is an interesting ad that allows people to continue to believe that sharks are scary creatures while also getting across the point that they still serve a vital purpose in the ocean.
Personally, I am not super scared of sharks, but I understand why people are scared, so its nice to see an ad that gets the point across that sharks are necessary while also being “sympathetic” to their fears.
I think most people would freak out if they saw a shark in the water of the beach they were at but at the same time, we can all agree that sharks and other scary ocean life creatures are vital to our ecosystem. Like you said, I really like how the ad is very minimalistic yet it gets such an important theme across to the audience.
I believe 100% of the population is scared of sharks if ever ina. face-to-face situation. I have always loved watching shark movies, but my fear of them is irrational. Even so, sharks play a huge role within our oceans and ecosystems, so getting rid of them is not a realistic option.
I thought it was clever how easily you created a “commonplace” between shark fears and the public.