We've never been a big fan of using statistics as a motivator to get people to act. Perhaps because they've been abused, misused or overused. For whatever reason, like so many others, we've become desensitized to them.
Photographic artist Chris Jordan found a brilliant solution. His series Running the Numbers, An American Self-Portrait "looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics". Instead of falling on deaf ears, however, Jordan goes straight for our eyeballs, imprinting his powerful message directly on our brain.
One of the things we love about Jordan's work is that it's completely unexpected and unassuming. It's accessible art that even our mother could appreciate and understand. It's a wolf in sheep's clothing. The imagery's abstract beauty politely grabs your attention, invites you in to take a closer look at the detail, then hits you squarely in the cerebral cortex with the punch line.
Non-profits and green marketers take note. Show, don't tell.
Plastic Bags, 2007 - 60"x72"
Depicts 60,000 plastic bags, the number used in the US every five seconds.
Partial zoom:
Detail at actual size:
  
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