On April 20, 2014, Apple launched its “Better” campaign (an advertisement) to promote environmental responsibility. Considering the deleterious effects of technological innovation on the environment, Apple, an American multinational corporation which designs and popularizes innovative technologies, decided to create a televisual advertisement which would demonstrate their mindfulness of and commitment to bettering our world’s future and making a positive difference in the lives of others by developing environmentally friendly technology. As a domineering industrialized superpower of the world, America contributes significantly to the pollution, despoliation, and degradation of the environment. Conversely, Apple laudably uses its social media platform to spear-head a global campaign which seeks to raise awareness of the need to be mindful of how technological innovation and scientific ingenuity impact the world we live in, particularly the environment. In this essay, I will analyze how “Better” (an Apple televisual advertisement) reflects and fosters the aim of achieving environmentally friendly technological innovation. 

In the last decade, America has pursued and achieved significant developments in technological innovation which have considerably enhanced our quality of life. In the process of doing so, environmentalists have emboldened us to commit ourselves to embodying the principle of environmental responsibility as we have embarked on the enchanting quest of maximizing the wonders of science and technology through harnessing and channeling our depths of authentic creativity and remarkable ingenuity. In “Better,” we recognize that the fundamental premise of the advertisement—establishing and evincing a stronger commitment to the environment for the future is vital—reflects the prevalent cultural idea of reducing the negative impact of technological innovation on the environment. More specifically, in “Better,” Apple posits the importance of using “greener materials and less packaging, of conserving resources for the future, reusing materials, and making sure products do not end up in landfills.” Moreover, “Better” clearly accentuates the need to pursue “changes which benefit people and the planet” (Apple, 2014). In short, this environmentally responsible outlook cogently expressed and heartily endorsed by Apple reflects the cultural idea and societal aim of striving for new developments in science and technology which leave the world (our environment) better than we found it. 

The visionary ideas described in “Better” which substantively advance the aim of creating green technology have inspired many to commit themselves to doing what they can, individually, to reverse the trend of environmental degradation.  In this sense, “Better” not only reflects, but fosters the cultural idea of being considerate and mindful of how human actions can detrimentally impact our environment. With the principle aim of reducing its impact on climate change, Apple presents visionary ideas of creating “new data centers powered by the sun and wind, new product designs which make use of recycled materials, and building new manufacturing facilities which run on 100% clean energy” (Apple, 2014). Holistic analysis of such content demonstrates that the concept of environmental responsibility is both fostered and reflected by the advertisement in that “Better” engages all four components of the culture cycle by promoting and explaining how Apple will endeavor to achieve and sustain environmentally friendly technological innovation. Considering how the culture cycle—the mutual constitution of individuals, interactions, institutions, and ideas—accounts for the development of prevalent cultural ideas, we can better understand how Apple’s distinct use of social media advances the cause of environmental responsibility by raising awareness and building on the ethical grounds of a popular movement (Sandra Nagakawa, 2014). In particular, “Better” fosters the idea of environmental responsibility by challenging us to notice and rectify a crucial problem of our culture. Although culture is powerful precisely because it is usually invisible to the untrained eye, Apple advances its cause through its creative display of vivid imagery and its incorporation of evocative content which impels us to think critically about the importance of showing greater concern for the condition of the environment we inhabit (Markus and Conner, 2013). Similarly, “Better” also reflects the very same idea in the sense that the entire advertisement builds on and adds to social media advocacy which champions the endeavor of leaving the world better than we found it by addressing the principle focus of environmentalism: reducing our negative impact on climate change.
 

Holistically, society realizes that climate change, environmental degradation, and global warming are critical problems  facing the world today. In “Better,” Apple affirms its commitment to making a positive difference in the world by being an environmentally responsible multinational corporation which attends to the endeavor of designing and developing technologies through processes that effectuate the goal of reducing potential detrimental impacts on the environment. Launching “Better,” an advertisement integral to Apple’s new environmental responsibility campaign, has reflected and fostered a cultural idea prevalent in and distinct to American society: the idea of achieving innovation and making the world a better place while also bettering the environment in the process. By poignantly demonstrating its commitment to environmental responsibility and advancing the principles of environmentalism through the promotion of innovation, Apple has established its brand as a paragon of positive change. By reflecting and fostering a sterling precedent of what it means to champion the cause of leaving the world better than we found it, Apple has challenged us to commit ourselves to doing what we can to better our planet and its inhabitants.