Capitalistic Agency: The Rhetoric of BP's Helios Power Campaign

Abstract

In this essay, we use rhetorical analysis to examine how British Petroleum's (BP) Helios Power media campaign both encourages and embodies capitalistic agency as the means to enact pro-environmental behavior. This form of agency limits the scope of environmentalism. Capitalistic agency can be conceptualized as the capacity to enact, or the process of enacting, capitalistic ends as well as the inherent constraining of agency that is not oriented toward the production of capital. Helios Power, launched in 2007, is BP's most recent American television, radio, internet advertising, and branding campaign. We examine the campaign website which heavily incorporates green marketing, including background images of wind turbines, environmental buzzwords throughout the text, green color schemes, and a section dedicated to conservation advocacy. By rhetorically aligning BP with environmentalism, providing customers a means of participation with environmentalism, and constraining profit-hindering conservation behaviors, Helios Power provides a vivid illustration for understanding the impact of capitalistic agency on society's perception of and progress toward environmental sustainability.

Keywords:

• Capitalistic Agency
• Rhetorical Agency
• Environmental Rhetoric
• BP
• Helios Power

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karl R. Smerecnik

Karl R. Smerecnik is a recent graduate of the Master's program in the School of Communication at San Diego State University

Valerie R. Renegar

Valerie R. Renegar is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at San Diego State University