Introduction
As consumers become more health and environmentally conscious they are beginning to demand products that are a better alternative to the environment. Companies have adjusted to the demand and responded by offering products that claim to be better. However, consumers are finding that many of these claims are either false or misleading and products are not as environmentally-friendly as believed. This is a prime example of greenwashing. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, greenwashing is the “expressions of environmentalist concerns especially as a cover for products, policies, or activities” (2016). There are seven sins of greenwashing which include: the sin of hidden trade-off, the sin of fibbing, the sin of no proof, the sin of irrelevance, the sin of vagueness, the sin of worshipping false labels, and the sin of lesser of two evils. Companies that are notable for greenwashing are include General Electric, the Coca-Cola Company, ExxonMobil, and many others.
The sin of hidden trade-off occurs when a company consciously markets a specific (positive) aspect of its product and neglects to mention other aspects that are detrimental to the environment and/or consumers. The sin of fibbing occurs when a company makes false claims. The sin of no proof is when a company makes a claim that does not have support from another party who is reliable. The sin of irrelevance is when a company includes a claim that is true; however, it is useless or pointless to include. The sin of vagueness occurs when a claim is purposely broad and details are intentionally left out. The sin of worshipping false labels means the company has produced an image or labeling that makes it appear as though their product is environmentally friendly although it is not. The sin of lesser of two evils is when a company places more emphasis on one aspect of the product that may be environmentally-friendly in order to distract consumers from the fact that the product is still detrimental to the environment as a whole.
Description of the Advertisement
The product/advertisement that I chose to analyze is Simple Green all-purpose cleaner. The product is created and manufactured by Sunshine Makers, Inc. who also partners with several companies globally to extend its reach to target markets. Founded by Bruce P. FaBrizio the company is located in Huntington Beach, California. The company boasts its product as a safer, non-toxic degreasing alternative that can be used for a variety of different surfaces. The cleaner comes in a concentrated package and can be diluted for multiple purposes. The advertisement (found on YouTube) includes the inventor –FaBrizio—an older white man standing in front of a car in a garage while holding the cleaner. He begins the commercial by stating that the product is, “non-toxic, biodegradable, all-purpose cleaner” and “works great for cleaning” before he is abruptly interrupted by an older woman who snatches the cleaner from him and disappears. The camera then cuts to the older woman cleaning a variety of surfaces using the Simple Green product.
Pragmatic Analysis
The source of the advertisement is the Simple Green manufacturers who aim to illustrate the versatility of the cleaner. The intended audience is predominately women (especially stay at home mothers and care takers). Simple Green manufacturers are targeting women because they hold the most purchasing power and decide what products are purchased for the household. Also, many women still have many household duties and chores and this product allows them to clean several different surfaces without needing to buy different products. The versatility decreases the amount of time spent on cleaning, freeing time for women and allowing Accompanied with this, consumers feel better knowing that their product does not have a negative effect on the environment or on the health of their loved ones.
Constitutive Analysis
Although nature is not being constructed in the advertisement, there are many instances where the speaker uses symbols to appeal to consumers. For example, the Simple Green all-purpose cleaner is green, which appeals to its “eco-friendly” nature. Also, noted in the advertisement is a banner stating that the product has been “made in America for over 35 years” which also appeals to patriotic Americans that enjoy supporting local and domestic businesses. The advertisement also showed the cleaner being used to clean a pair of jeans signifying to audience members that it was safe to use on clothes and objects that come into contact with human skin without irritating it.
Depoe’s Frames in the Advertisement
The frames being employed in the advertisement is the sin of tradeoff and the sin of vagueness. Although the company boasts an image of being eco-friendly (Deneen, 2010) studies have proven otherwise. FaBrizio repeatedly refers to the cleaner as “non-toxic” and a “safer alternative.” This is the sin of vagueness as the company emphasizes the product as being safe neglecting to mention information from research which found harmful chemicals in the product. A study by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found that the Simple Green cleaner, “spewed 2-butoxyethanol and 92 other chemicals into the air, including one linked to cancer (acetaldehyde) and another linked to both cancer and asthma (formaldehyde) (Deneen, 2010). Studies proved the 2-butoxyethanol chemical caused damage to red blood cells in lab animals and was possibly linked to high rates of carcinogen in humans according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services (Deneen, 2010). This also proves the use of the sin of vagueness, as the company purposely neglects to elaborate on the detrimental effects of the “non-toxic” product on humans and animals.
References
Deneen, S. (2010). Simple Green cleaners: Critics Say it Isn't Green. Daily Finance. Retrieved
green/
Simple Green TV Commercial. YouTube Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxUYOOJqlEs (Advertisement)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/greenwashing
