Audi 2010 Green Car Super Bowl Commercial

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How does this video portray punishment? Based on what we know about the science of punishment, do you think the punishment is effective?

 

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This video I personally have to say was very clever. Obviously they show an extreme case of “being green.” I think sometimes advertisers have to be overly extreme to get their point across. Punishment in this commercial is shown in multiple examples. The first person arrested in the commercial picked plastic instead of paper at the check out, one simple thing we can do to be greener. Second they show the green police going through people’s garbage and finding batteries, something else that can be recycled. Third they show a man pealing an orange and throwing away the rind, the police tell him that’s a compost infraction. Fourth is an older couple being arrested for using incandescent light bulbs. Fifth shows the police dumping out plastic water bottle from two teen boys. Sixth shows a couple in their hot tub with the water temperature to high. Seventh finally shows the car that the ad is for. They let it through a traffic checkpoint because it’s running on clean diesel.
The punishment portrayed is exaggerated a bit but the overall theory is good. They took the punishment style of police officers and targeted people on being greener. If the police arrested me for picking plastic over paper at the grocery store I would probably remember to get paper the next time I was there. Same goes for installing incandescent light bulbs; if the punishment does its job of breaking the aversive behavior then it’s effective. Some people might need to be pushed in this manner to be greener. There are still people who don’t think it’s important to recycle and be “green.”
Imagine if the commercial wasn’t exaggerated and instead of arresting a man for picking plastic at the grocery store all they did was have the checker tell them about the paper bags being eco-friendly. The punishment wouldn’t match the aversive behavior. The man might say, “Ok, paper” today but when he came back the next time he might not remember to pick paper because the punishment for picking plastic isn’t a negative reinforcement. The green police arresting them is a negative reinforcement or punishment.
Then at the end of the commercial letting the green guy drive through the checkpoint was giving an example of how you could benefit from being green. He was rewarded for having a clean diesel “green” car while the others were being punished for not being “green.”
I actually think this commercial might have an impact on people being more aware of being green. They might not buy the Audi’s new car but might look into a hybrid or just start recycling. By the commercial showing an exaggerated punishment it might induce a positive behavior on behalf of it.

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