January 22nd: Show and Tell

For my show and tell this week I brought in an ad for Tide. Their campaign called "Green" Your Household is focused around the idea of households doing their part to creating a change for issues such as global warming, climate change, alternative fuel and renewable energy. Their online information says, "...there are small, easy changes we can all make in our day-to-day lives that have a big effect on the environment. Not only can these practices help in reducing the negative impact we place on the plant, but they can also save you money!" (http://www.tide.com/en-US/article/green-your-household.jspx). This relates to the idea of framing as mentioned by Lakoff. According to Lakoff, all thinking and talking involves framing because a single word can activate not only its defining frame but also much of the  system its defining is on. In this advertisement, the idea of global warming, climate change and doing your part is all activating different frames at once in the mind of consumers. As mentioned in class we all want to do or part in making the environment a better place. Therefore, advertisements that encourage us to make small changes help us to believe that little actions are making a difference. They frame the issue and product in such a way that we feel we are doing our part. However, Lakeoff also mentions that these small changes aren`t the only actions that will create a change, ultimately political action is still needed to ensure the survival of all.

http://www.tide.com/en-US/article/green-your-household.jspx