In this article, shockvertisements that aim to increase awareness of environmental issues are examined, specifically their conceptual scaffolding. Our analysis demonstrates that certain cognitive operations, such as metaphor in interactionwith metonymy, are employed so as to belittle humans by assigning animal and plant characteristics to them and building up animals and plants by assigning them human characteristics. Defenselessness appears as the ultimate quality that can be assigned to humans, animals and plants. In using these simple concepts, it is easy for people of all cultures and languages, for the most part anyway, to understand the messages from the advertisers.