Charity Advertising Research 10

British Heart Foundation - Watch your own heart attack

This advert shows a man in a suit, talking to another man about the symptoms of a heart attack whilst he appears to be having symptoms of a heart attack, however we are watching it from this mans point of view.

Ideologies
The ideologies presented in the advert are that sometimes people ignore problems they are having with their health as they feel it's not important, however it's important to go and see a doctor as it could be a heart attack. It's suggesting that it is avoidable if you seek help quickly. This is implied when the man says 'Not worth worrying about right? Wrong.'

Visual & Narractive Techniques
When the man walks into the room, the first thing I noticed was the fact that he's wearing a suit, which already suggests authority and power, therefore we should listen to him. The fact that he is the only character in the advert, and is talking directly to the audience, grabs our attention and forces the audience to listen. He also tends to ask quite a lot of rhetorical questions, triggering a response from us and he has a demanding tone of voice, making the audience feel as though they have to do something in response the advert. Also , the fast pace music creates a rushed and busy atmosphere, which will then reflect the audiences emotions.

Advertising Techniques
The use of shock tactics is effective in the advert, because we see that the man having a heart attack throws up, and suffers from pains which are made out to be like a punch in the chest. This would scare the audience because it will make them worry that this is a possibility for them. Also, the fact that the man is talking to us as if we are the man having the heart attack, creates personal connection between us as the other man so the audience will feel more obliged to react to the advert.

What works/What doesn't 
I like the fact that we are positioned as if we are the man suffering from the heart attack, because it makes it feel more personal and relatable. However, other adverts I've looked at use more reward and punishment by suggesting that if they possibly donate to the charity, a difference will be made, whereas this one only has a website link.