I think the main target audience of this green print advertisement is more likely for those people who are following a sustainable and ecologically friendly lifestyle And people who are caring about the environment as well as having the motivation to protect the environment; especially those who liking trying new things and having the sense of fashionable staffs, since this advertisement is put in the fashionable magazine like Glamour. On the other hand, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of need, I think this advertisement is also used to target the self-actualization need of consumers, because this advertisement only use the product image with a dewy leaf of the green plant instead of using a image of person or other situations. So, it is like consumer who buys this product is because they believe this product is good for the environment and believe what they do is right, but not because of their social needs or physological needs.
The general ambience of this advertisement is pretty simple and clear. It uses the method of simply putting the new Dasani Plant Bottle product into the centre of the natural green leaf with clear water drops on it and topped off with a bright green plastic cap with the natural white background. This only image is clearly representing theme of this advertisement, which means what the company is promoting is the plant bottle, is an attitude of protecting the environment but not the water itself. I think this advertisement use the good combination of color white, blue and green. These three colors are all popular terms can be all associated with the environmental theme as well. The color of the background is white color, which represents purified, clean, simple and nature. I think the associations with these three colors are sufficient for creating consumers’ likeliness towards the plant bottle. The use of the recycle symbol vividly represents this plant bottle is still 100% recycle, which emphasizes the benefit and innovation of this new bottled water.
About the written messages of this green advertisement, at the up corner, the advertiser is highlighting the words “Better by design”, which means the DASANI is taking steps to reduce impact on the planet with a major innovation in bottle change. I think “Better by design” is the message of this product that the company would like consumer to remember. The language of written messages at the button of the corner provides information as well try to generate some kind of emotional response. For example “The pure, crisp, taste of DASANI now comes in a better bottle. Made from up to 30% plant based materials and still a 100% recyclable bottle”; “Available now in the Western US”; as well as the website address of DASANI. These should be considered as information message. Providing the website address on this green advertisement can motivate people to go to the company home page to see more detailed information about the product and, and it is also a way of promoting the brand. “Plant Bottle packaging brings you fresh-tasting water in a bottle designed with a planet in mind.” This one is using the emotional appeal to persuade people that the design of this plant bottle is based on the concern of the environment. What’s more, I also think the copywriter use the technique of “respect to the nature”. Since the company knows the target audiences have the attitude of protecting the environment, they are trying to claim that they are trying best to come out with this plant bottle to reduce the harm of environment in order to gain the preference from the consumers. On the other hand, the copy writer also uses the “control empowerment of technology” technique, trying to claim that with the use of advanced technology, the DASANI now is able to save the environment.
However, looking closer for the written messages, I found there are some green washing indexes. Based on the consideration of the written messages, I feel like the company of DASANI is trying to promote the idea that drinking bottled water out of a plant bottle is environmentally friendly, but the reality is that putting a stop to purchasing and using bottled water would be the most effective “green” method. It seems like this advertisement is trying to encourage more and more consumers to buy bottle water. But for new consumer who did not buy bottle water before, this shift of perception will increase the harm to the environment, since more plastic will be made. The second tricking message I would like to point out is “up to 30%” made from plant”, which could differ from 1%-30%; it could be 10%. 5% or 1%. We don’t really know.
In the DASANI website, I found that after this plant bottle product, Dasani start running campaigns and promotional efforts like “Green Cap”; “Ocean Conversation event” in order to increase the public awareness of protecting the environment. So, I would say although the product is not entirely eco-friendly, but the company still encouraging efforts that can substantially reduce the bad impacts on the environment.
