Plastic Does Not Belong in the Sea “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always ourself we find in the sea” this is a beautiful phrase E. E. Cummings once said. The ocean is vital for the environment. It’s well known to be one of the most important natural resources of earth. At the same time, it’s very much affected with pollution and trash. The photograph “Polluted Sushis” shows three sushis placed in a white platter, they are wrapped around plastic in place of the usual seaweed. This image leads to an understanding that nothing goes by without a consequence. The message that is being sent by this image is powerful in the sense of saying that what we throw into the ocean, will eventually come back. The JWT advertisement agency in charge of the add “Polluted Sushis” does a great job using ethos, pathos, and logos to help effectively persuade the audience to stop littering the sea. The use of pro environmental ads nowadays is quite usual. Some of them are very harsh and direct, they go straight to the point and leave no space to wonder. Nevertheless, there are some ads which are more subtle with their message. They suggest the problem in a more creative way giving the viewer the possibility to reflect upon their add. I find this mechanism much more effective than the first one because it gives a way to internalize the problem shown. Precisely, this is what happens with “Polluted Sushis”. It achieves that people are most likely to perceive the possibility of what is presented in the image to be real close. The credibility of the image has

Porter 2 been built from showing a type of food that is usually perceived as fresh and healthy and altering it with plastic, which is clearly harmful for consumption. This aspect of the picture sends a waring signal to the public and is much more effective than only showing a polluted part of the sea. The message is very clear because it creates a connection between the viewer and the image by frightening it with the closeness of the problem. The “Polluted Sushis” image creates a variety of emotional connections with the audience because of the way it is depicted. With a first glance of the image, you see three sushis arranged neatly over a white rectangular plate. Within a couple of seconds you realize that all of them are covered up in plastic instead of seaweed. The plastic covering them comes from various sources. Specifically, one shows a black bar code in a blue background, another seems to be from a light blue plastic bag and the third one belongs to some sort of decoration wrapper. All three sushis stand still on top of the plate. They create a feeling of impotence. Evidently, nobody would want to eat something covered up in plastic. The emotional connection achieved in this image relays on the fact that pollution is not a problem external to us. The style used in the whole image is sincere and neat. It has no special or manipulated effects, it’s very straightforward. Everything that is presented in the image is shown in a way that every age group will be able to understand the issue depicted or what is going on within the photograph. The image itself logically persuades the reader to reflect upon it’s actions regarding sea pollution. However, the clear and straightforward message comes with the proverb “What goes around, comes around.” followed by “Keep the sea clean.” Proverbs are both linguistic and behavioral items, possessing motives and a logical structure. They are messages passed among people from time to time and contain a shared meaning. In this case, the message that

Porter 3 accompanies the image appeals to our intellect by suggesting that everything that is thrown into the sea, will eventually return to us. It’s a strong message because the image shows us the logical possibility of encountering this trash in our own food. Logos is used to inform the audience not only about what is currently happening to the sea, but reminds viewers to think about the possibility of facing with this problem themselves. The language used in the proverb is appropriate to the audience and subject of the advertisement. The message is not hard to understand and allows the audience to connect thoroughly. As a matter of fact, the best tool the image uses to create a reflection upon the audience is the closeness of the situation. The idea that this platter of sushi with plastic could be served in someones next meal creates a strong reflection and persuades the audience effectively.. Based on the image itself, most people would be able to understand the long-lasting damage the sea is going through. Rhetoric was surely used in the process of constructing the image because the altered threesome of sushis sends a clear message to the audience in a symbolic way. The thought of karma is greatly used both within the image and the phrase chosen in the advertisement. The proverb “What goes around, comes around”, which is the logical aspect of the picture, shares emotional connections with the plastic seaweed. It’s short and contains a very clear meaning. They used a catchy phrase to evoke our memory and reason. If one does not expect to see plastic in their food, one shouldn’t permit to see plastic in the sea. This image gives the audience something to reflect on internally because of it’s effective use of persuasion through ethos, pathos and logos.

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