The Rhetorics of Creativity

The are nine Rhetorics of creativity.

"The rhetorics of creativity are given names which broadly correspond to the main theoretical underpinnings or the ideological beliefs of those who deploy them." Banaji, Shakuntala (2008)

Creative Genius
Democratic & political creativity challenge
Ubiquitous creativity
Creativity for social good
Creativity as economic imperative
Play & Creativity
Creativity & cognition
The creative affordance of technology
The creative classroom


As I have touched on this campaign briefly before, I thought it would be interesting to look at the Rhetoric which stands behind the...

The VW Fun theory

This campaign is a good example how creativity can be used for social good, and in the case of the fun theory it ties VW as a brand to a principal of improving human behaviour, experience and conscience in a way that will better themselves, their loved ones and the community.

Speed camera lottery - "The winning idea of the fun theory award, submitted by Kevin Richardson, USA. Can we get more people to obey the speed limit by making it fun to do? This was the question Kevin’s idea answered and it was so good that Volkswagen, together with The Swedish National Society for Road Safety, actually made this innovative idea a reality in Stockholm, Sweden."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iynzHWwJXaA
Fun belt - "Can we ensure everyone keeps their safety belt on by making it fun to do? This is another of the ideas that made it to the final of the fun theory award, created by Nevena Stojanovic from Serbia. The idea is being tested in Sweden in the hope it could be applied to all vehicles in the future."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AbQSE4ZKvk#t=31
Bottle bank arcade - Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that's because we don't get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile. See the results here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSiHjMU-MUo
Piano stairs - "”Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw
Worlds deepest bin - "To throw rubbish in the bin instead of onto the floor shouldn’t really be so hard. Many people still fail to do so. Can we get more people to throw rubbish into the bin, rather than onto the ground, by making it fun to do? See the results here."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEKAwCoCKw


The idea behind the fun theory is that people will be more willing to change their behaviour if it is fun to do. Volkswagen use the theory to promote the use of their environmental cars. This campaign is a great example of a way in which advertising as an industry can improve its relationship with the public, along with improving the impact that its work has on the world, environment and obviously the people it reaches out to. Their is an underlying message of responsiblity that is attached to the brand in a way that doesn't simply scream "look at us making economic cars", It simply says "look at how we can make a difference."





Bibliography

Banaji, Shakuntala (2008) Creativity: exploring the rhetorics and the realities (available  at http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/27362/1/Creativity_exploring_the_rhetorics_and_the_realities_(lsero).pdf)