Conoco Phillips, Greenwashing Extraordinaire

WHAT THE FRACK?!

If any of you are familiar with hydraulic fracturing, then you can easily spot the many flaws in this advertisement. This ad comes from Conoco Phillips's national campaign to re-frame natural gas fracking as a positive and clean form of energy that will provide our country with endless job opportunities.

Diagnosing the "Classroom" with our Powertool sets:

1. The Triune Brain:

This ad caters to our Neocortext, or our rational/thinking brain.

~The basic statements used throughout the ad are simple and easy to comprehend while spinning false information in a positive light.

ConocoPhillips promises jobs.

JOBS = GOOD.

ConocoPhillips states that their energy is good for the environment.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY = GOOD.

...Conoco Phillips = GOOD.

The Lymbic Brain:

The illustrations in the background of the ad are subtle, but if watching closely, symbols, graphs, and highlighted words appear in white throughout the advertisement, stimulating our artistic side of the brain.

2. The 8 Trends and Shifts of 21st Media Culture

Economic Shift- This ad is an example of a corporation greenwashing consumers into thinking their company's way of obtaining energy is safe, clean, affordable, a matter of national security, good for the economy and environmentally friendly. Corporate money paid for this ad and shows the shift to CORPORATE consolidation.

Discursive Shift- This ad also showcases the movement away from the objective to the subjective.

~This ad is created for you to side with Conoco Phillips and think of them as a company that will help the United States divert from their dependency on foreign oil.

~It is up for you to decide your opinion after the ad.

Seems legit, right?

3. The 7 General Principles

Production Techniques: Short. Simple. To the point. This ad is a quick glance that answers questions of concern for customers. It is created "to influence the ways we think, behave, and buy."

~The well light classroom sets the stage for the bright and attractive students to discuss the many positives that come from hydraulic fracturing.

Value Messages:

~job creation

~good for the economy

~environmentally friendly

What's not to like?

from Karoo Anti Hydraulic Fracturing Action Network

4. The 29 Persuasive Techniques....

#1:the Big Lie - fracking is neither safe nor a clean source of energy...nice try

#2: Hyperbole - Clean energy via fracking...EXTREME EXAGGERATION

#3: Bribery - empty promises of jobs and a "cleaner future"

#4: Bandwagon - these young, bright college students are on board, shouldn't you???

#5: Simple Solutions - with fracking we will have energy clean energy coming out of our ears! What's not to like??

#6: Respected Individuals - the professor in the background adds some credibility to the scene

#7: Plain Folks - those that are central to the ad are "normal" college students, with a serious eye for spotting efficient energy sources

#8: Diversion - never mind the SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, minor details

#9: Denial - where are all the negative impacts?

#10: Beautiful People - all individuals within the add are fairly good looking

#11: Group Dynamics - the group of students within the ad all have various personas; the hippie chick, the smart-ass kid, the practical one and the one that is easily swayed

#12: Strength: Bold Statements - JOBS, CLEAN,

#13: Card Stacking - clean solutions are severely taken out of context

#14: Race Card - there are two minorities in the add, increasing its credibility?

Interested in learning more about FRACKING?

check out "Gasland" by Josh Fox, trailer below