TOW #23 (Visual) WWF Shark Ad

       Pop culture and entertainment has recreated the shark as a savage, blood-thirsty, terrorizing creature, but sharks are relatively passive animals that kill only 5 people a year (compare this to 24,000 people dead from lightning strikes). These animals are a vital part of the ocean's ecosystem and are one of the top predators in the ocean. However, we kill over 8000 sharks a year, mainly for their fins for a favorite Asian dish, shark fin soup. The World Wildlife Fund is trying to put a stop to shark exploitation and uses simplicity to send that message.

     This WWF advertisement's most distinctive element is its simplicity. Simplicity in both image and words. The picture is split into two identical oceans. One has the fin of the shark showing and one has no shark. The audience can instantly tell the difference between the two without much thought because of the obvious contrast between the two pictures. 

     Centered in each of the two images are small white words. The image with the shark says, "Horrifying." The WWF is basing this off of the popular belief that sharks are scary creatures. Although they only kill an average of 5 people a year, the human psyche, because of cultural influences, sees the top fin of a shark and instantly pictures the horrifying shark and the terror a shark causes. 

    The picture with no shark also has white words, "More Horrifying." At first glance, one would wonder, "why would it be more horrifying if there was no shark?" However, an informed citizen, after careful thought, would realize the meaning behind this. The truth in shark exploitation and the rapidly declining number of sharks. The WWF is using this fact as the base in their argument that an ocean with no sharks is even more horrifying than an ocean with sharks. The advertisement is extremely simple, and in this case, with simplicity comes intensity, and the WWF was able to deliver a powerful message because of it.