The advertisement for "The Wait for Water" campaign is arguably the most appealing of the few shortlisted public health campaigns. On behalf of his organization water.org, Matt Damon liaises with waiters and receptionists in several hotels to give strangers a snippet of what it feels to lack water. When the hotel staff informed them that they would have to wait for six hours to get water, they are naturally shocked; some get angry while others believe it is a prank. Damon then seizes the chance, just as they are contemplating the hotel staff's insubordination and the inefficiency of the hotel itself, telling them that 663 million people in the developing world experience the lack of water daily. He explains how many women fail to seek an education because they spend up to six hours of their days searching for this basic need.
Damon's speech is so appealing that it moves one of his listeners to tears. The other customers realize how privileged they are to have easy access to running water such that it seems absurd to have to wait for it for six hours in a hotel (TheEllenShow, 2018). Like most campaigns, Damon employed persuasion theories to ensure his target audience listens to him and agrees with his message. First, he used social judgmental theory. He understood that the latitude of acceptance for most people was that every human being should have access to basic needs like water (TheEllenShow, 2018). Secondly, Damon knew that approaching his audience without prior preparation was in their latitude of rejection since they respected their personal space. The campaign was well devised to create an assimilation effect. Once the customers had already experienced the absurdity of having to wait that long for water, Damon knew they would be more willing to listen to the plight of millions of others who shared that experience every single day.
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Damon also employed the elaboration likelihood modelling to appeal to his audience. He had to assess his audience before he attempted to make his case (Manca et al., 2020). His target audience was people who were used to the availability of running water for the greater part of their adulthood. He counted on his audience being unaware or ignorant of the plight most people go through in the developing world. With this assessment in mind, Damon makes a strong pathos argument. His argument begins log before he speaks to them, the interaction between the customers and the hotel staff is part and parcel of the argument he tries to make.
Thirdly, the campaign used cognitive dissonance as a means of persuasion. He gave his audience two inconsistent thoughts (Cacioppo, 2018). After the hotel staff told them they would have to wait for water, these customers portrayed different emotions driven by the same principle: entitlement. Each customer felt entitled to running water because it was a basic need they could not imagine lacking. Their entitlement unconsciously stemmed from their belief that every human being should access running water and all basic needs. Damon then presented an inconsistent fact that millions of people in the world did not enjoy such luxury. The customers were then left with the choice of ignoring the inconsistency or trying to fix the problem. Since the inconsistency was part of Damon's plan to persuade them, he gives them the option to help change one of the inconsistent thoughts by giving them the chance to improve conditions for those suffering in the developing world.
Finally, Damon employed the narrative paradigm as a means to persuade his audience. The experience of lacking water could not have been enough to convince his audience. Damon's goal was to show his audience how privileged they were and appeal to them to be part of the solution (Teeny et al., 2017). The reason the organization chose Damon as their spokesperson is probably because of his eloquence. Since Damon is also a famous actor, members of the audience who recognized him became more inclined to listen. Even for those who did not know him, his eloquence persuaded them to his cause.
For the narrative paradigm to work, Damon had first to introduce himself politely. Granted that he had the element of surprise on his side, he could not afford to lose his advantage by appearing rude (Moyer‐Gusé & Dale, 2017). Secondly, he needed to be part of the solution he was appealing his audience to join. The water campaign could have easily picked anyone known for their eloquence and persuasion skills, yet they chose Damon. They understood that for one to be willing to join an unknown organization, they must see other people in it too. This strategy is partly from the ELM theory of persuasion (Horcajo, 2017). Damon being part of the organization he spoke on behalf of was a social proof meant to entice his audience.
However, the most essential part of his narration was the sober portrayal of emotions. When explaining the suffering people in the developing world endure, Damon's demeanor and voice showed emotional investment, but he did not let it come in the way. He did not show any judgment towards customers who had lashed out at the hotel staff for not having water. He allowed the experience his audience had just had to prepare the way for his message.
When trying to persuade an individual, one must understand and accept that they may not be willing to be convinced. Damon knew that, and after he had done his part, he let his audience decide whether they were ready to join him. He did not offer any ultimatums or stigmatize anyone who disagreed with him, which made his campaign a success.
References
Cacioppo, J. T. (2018). The neuroscience of persuasion: A review with an emphasis on issues
and opportunities. Social neuroscience , 13 (2), 129-172.
Horcajo, J. (2017). The Elaboration Likelihood Model: Changing attitudes toward exercising and
beyond. In Persuasion and communication in sport, exercise, and physical activity (pp. 22-37). Routledge.
Manca, S., Altoè, G., Schultz, P. W., & Fornara, F. (2020). The persuasive route to sustainable
mobility: elaboration likelihood model and emotions predict implicit attitudes. Environment and Behavior , 52 (8), 830-860.
Moyer‐Gusé, E., & Dale, K. (2017). Narrative persuasion theories. The international
encyclopedia of media effects , 1-11.
Teeny, J., Briñol, P., & Petty, R. E. (2017). The elaboration likelihood model: Understanding
consumer attitude change.
TheEllenShow. (2018, Feb 7). “Matt Damon Surprises People with ‘The Wait for Water’”
[Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q88No2FPyGM&feature=emb_logo
