Alexandria Atanas
14 September 2012
EH 101- 9:15-10:05
Ms. Weber
Essay 2-Rough Draft
Conservation: Operation H2O H2O-h no! In the past year Denver, Colorado has suffered from droughts and raging wildfires. The city has been on constant alert. With these alarming natural disasters on the brink, the Denver Water organization has multiplied their number of water conservation advertisements. Due to the recent push, some caught national attention. Now, the Denver Water organization is highly respected and known as the largest water utilities serving over 1.3 million people, and can still crank out these head-tuning advertisements. The Denver Water organization first released this advertisement in 2011 as a billboard but only recently as a commercial. The billboard is the best topic of discussion though. With its effortless design and simplistic message the point of water conservation is clearly legible. With the type being in a white font color on a nonexistent back it proves its message that you should only use what’s a necessity. In essence, it sounds commonsense; almost like a slap in the face. It even draws to a more broadened statement that we should conserve every commodity by only using what we need. True, it’s by our own definition on what is necessary to us and how much is really enough. But by using no backing it shows its argument is a little more valid, easy enough “practice what you preach”. This advertisement uses all three: pathos, ethos, and logos, to a T. Appealing to our emotions, pathos, are the underlying causes on why we’re being urged to conserve water. No one really wants a drought or wild fire to break out; it’s an interruption of our ‘normal’ lives. With their ethical appeal, ethos, Denver Water is appealing to our ‘green’ side, urging you to think about Mother Earth. And last but not least, appeasing our logical intuition; with the mention of La Nina lurking in the news, Denver Water capitalizes on the theory pushing their advertisements in every possible public space.

The argument that Denver residents should conserve water in the time of drought and wildfires are logically valid it almost seems silly to advertise. On first glance of this advertisement we assume a broadened category of conservation. Already deciding that it’s a ‘green’ AD, you glance in the corner to see the orange and white unmistakable Denver Water logo. Since Denver Water is the largest and oldest in the Colorado area providing water utility to so many people, it’s highly regarded and proves authority.

Some may feel offended by advertisement,