With climate change and sustainability becoming exceedingly important issues for our generation, it is no surprise that corporations such as Ben & Jerry’s are working through campaigns such as the one above to convey their commitment to these causes to consumers. While it is generally a commonplace for people to think that most large corporations “only care about money” and have no concern for the environment, Ben & Jerry’s is clearly trying to shift this commonplace. The advertisement notes that they are “working daily throughout our operations to reduce our footprint”, establishing their ethos as a company that values impact over profit. They further convey credibility by promising to report their progress annually. Furthermore, the advertisement appeals to our pathos when it describes the company as a one that cares about our communities, earth, and individual customers. The visual imagery of different hands grasping a globe above the caption evokes a deep emotional sense of community and brotherhood. Next, the nature of the advertisement as one that connects multiple captions and pictures together establishes its logos, or the coherent message the company seeks to portray. Namely, a circular diagram is illustrated that connects the company’s love and care for its customers and community to the ethical manner in which it gathers ingredients to the ecologically efficient manner in which it produces its food. The ideas flow smoothly from one source to the next in establishing the overall message of a company that truly cares about the social implications of their actions, not just the financial ones. Such a campaign to demonstrate social/environmental consciousness to consumers is not just confined to Ben & Jerry’s, but exists as a part of a larger shift in American corporate culture that has occurred over the past few years. While corporations were once seen as impersonal agents only concerned with dominating others in the free market, advertisements such as this demonstrate a shift towards valuing social engagement as a way to connect with issues that consumers care about.
I like how the beginning gets right into your argument and conveys your main idea right away. I like the choice of the verb, “exceedingly.” The usage of, “We care,” in the advertisement makes them seem like a company that truly is concerned with the climate as you described. Do you think the popularity of Ben & Jerry’s helps them successfully move this commonplace? Also, what lens do you think you could use to examine this ad?
While I’m somewhat familiar with Ben & Jerry’s campaign to pay workers a fair wage, I was unaware that they were also advocating for a greener Earth. Your breakdown of this ad brings to light several, what seem like essential points of Ben & Jerry’s business plan for the future, and I feel that I better understand the role of large companies as advocates for the world,. I agree that this ad is signifying a shift in the negative connotation that corporations only care about themselves. I feel that the most apparent lens to look at this ad through is visual rhetoric as the use of pictures, as well as information, convey a larger meaning to the viewer about how we can act to save the Earth.
I like how you started your pitch by pointing out how this ad relates to sustainability. Your examination of this Ben&Jerry’s ad through two lenses (ethos, pathos, and logos and visual rhetoric) was interesting. liked how you pointed out the shapes and pictures included in the ad and related them to the overarching theme of commitment to their customers.
Speech feedback: I thought you did a great job analyzing the ad and I liked how you included logos, pathos, and ethos when analyzing. Your speech was easy to follow and you explained it well. One thing I think you can work on for next time is body language but it was a great speech.
I like how in your presentation, you truly took us through what the ad meant. Ben and Jerry’s has a history of advocating for hot-button issues, and this ad is just solidifying that. You did a great job of explaining their campaign in this ad, as well as showing us where they used ethos and pathos. While you seemed a little nervous (not a bad thing at all), you projected well and confidently, and helped us understand what Ben and Jerry’s is trying to advocate for in this ad.
Speech feedback: I liked how you talked about the ethos, pathos, and logos of this ad, as well as the visual rhetoric. I thought the analysis of the pictures used, especially the hands around the globe, was very interesting and well-explained.