Denver Water Ad – Miranda Craft

BackgroundThe non-traditional use of these advertising campaigns have really got the Denver Water Company’s point across to it’s customers. Using this approach, the Denver Water Company has helped reduce water consumption between 18% and 21% over the past four years.

What do you see?

A bench with one seat.

“Use only what you need.”

What is the meaning of this ad?

I believe the Denver Water

Company is trying to get its

customers to use only what they need in water, because it’s a

natural resource, and someday, there won’t be

any left.

Who is the audience?The audience

for this advertisement is the public.

Everybody can conserve

water and the Earth’s natural

resources. Even one

person can make a

difference.

What is the message?This pictures

main message is that people

should only use what they need of anything. For example: When you brush your

teeth, you should turn the water

off and not let it run for the whole time you aren’t

using it.

Use only what you need.

What do they want you to do/buy?

The Denver Water Company wants people to conserve/reduce their use of the Earth’s natural resources, and only use what

you need.

What do you still need to know?

You need to know what people are

doing to help the

environment and how

people are conserving

water. You need to know simple things you can do around your house that will

save water.

How does removing the words change the ad?

Without the words, there is no meaning to the bench. People wouldn’t know why a part of the bench is missing and that it is really an advertisement for the water company.

What are the Pros & Cons of this ad?

Urge people to conserve water and other of the

Earth’s resources.

Make the need to save water

and other natural

resources known.

You can’t guarantee the public will take

heed to the advertisement.

The amount of space the bench provides might

not be the standard for

everyone, therefore this ad

could not be accurate for

some people.

Pros: Cons:

Pathos

How does this picture make you feel?

This picture makes me feel like I can make a difference. I also feel guilty that I haven’t been more conservative of water and other resources.

Ethos

Why is the creator of this advertisement a credible source to listen to?

The Denver Water Company is a credible source because they are trying to get the public to use less of a product they are trying to sell, which would indicate they are not money-hungry.

Logos

What is the logical appeal?

The logical appeal in this advertisement is that only a section of the bench is there, because that is all that one person would need, just like using only a little bit of water would be all a person would need for a specific task.

Juxtaposition

The juxtaposition in the two advertisements is that they don’t come right out and say, “Save trees” or “Save water.” The ads both require

a deeper thought process in order to fully understand them.

Works Cited

• Denver Water. “The Use Only What You Need Campaign.” Conservation. Denver Water. n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.

• Steph. “More Than Fit To Sit: 15 Clever Bench Ads.” Global. Web. Urbanist. n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2011