Science in Advertising

Sponsors of Technology Advocacy

Advertising is strategic. It is designed to serve an organization's interests, and frequently this involves persuading people about product or service benefits. Advertising is also used to persuade people about issues or ideas, and in this case the goal is to foster public opinion that is favorable for an organization's objectives. Technology advocacy focuses [Page 707]on science-related issues, organizations, and activities. In particular, energy, the environment, and high-tech industries associated with hazards have been the focus of technology advocacy. Individual corporations, industry associations, and nonprofit groups generally sponsor these ads.

Many technology advocacy campaigns are sponsored by corporations. BASF, for example, is a major chemical company that runs ads under the slogan “We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.” This campaign focuses on the benefits of BASF technologies, with emphasis on safety outcomes through such things as better sunscreens, more durable bridges, and stronger safety helmets. Ads also stress the company's positive environmental impact through technologies for reduced diesel exhaust emissions, more energy-efficient homes, and biodegradable plastic bags. Like most companies that engage in technology advocacy, BASF refers to these efforts as corporate advertising, which accurately reflects the emphasis on the organization and its activities rather than the promotion of a specific product.

In addition to individual companies, industry associations are also significant sponsors of technology advocacy advertising. These associations, such as the American Chemistry Council (ACC), represent the interests of a business sector. The ACC's membership is made up of over 100 chemical companies—including BASF—as well as major industry players such as Bayer, Dow, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Merck, and Monsanto. The association's “Essential 2 Living” campaign promotes plastics as necessary for everyday products such as vehicle air bags, cell phones, contact lenses, and surfboards. This campaign seems to purposely downplay the high-tech nature of the industry in favor of more familiar lifestyle images. Like many industry associations, the ACC refers to its ad campaign as public education. While industry campaigns may provide some information about the contributions of a given technology, these campaigns are designed to persuade the public and promote industry-friendly attitudes, not provide a balanced education about technology and its impacts.

...