Charity Advertising Research 7

Save The Children - Most Shocking Second A Day

This advert is for the charity Save The Children which shows how a young british girls life is gradually changing due to war. The aim of the advert is to raise awareness to try and help the children in Syria.




Ideologies
The ideologies promoted in the advert are that firstly, we don't know what its like or how it feels to be in the position that people in countries suffering from war, like Syria, are in. This is put across in the advert as it is set in an English city, so its quite a relatable setting for the majority of the audience and we are not used to seeing it be affected by war. Another idea presented in the advert, is that for many people all over the world, war is something that occurs in there life everyday. Were shown this because we see the young girl do normal child like things such as go the park and go to school, however we then see how her everyday life is gradually effected by war.

Visual & Narrative Techniques 
The advert consists of a years worth of 1 second clips, to show the change in the young girls life. The main character is girl who seems to be about 9 years old, and this is pronably the case because the advertiser wants the audience to see the situation from a vulnerable and innocent  point of view. Although war is a frequent occurance throughout the advert shows on the news, radio and conversations she seems oblivious to it until it hits home. The camera is positioned in the place throughout the whole advert, and it focuses on the main character which shows her expressions as her life changes, and the backgrounds show how life is changing around her. The use of digetic sound is important as it gives off a sense of reality to the audience, because it's as if we are also hearing what's going on around the girl, like the news, radio, planes and bombs.

Advertising Techniques 
The fact that the main character in the advert is a young girl is effective because it will appeal to the audiences need to nurture as it will encourage them to make a difference to the child's life.  The use of shock tactics is also used, when we see that this English city is experiencing aspects of war because we are not used to seeing this whereas in places like Syria this is normal ,therefore it leaves the audiences shocked. Relating to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, the adverts threatens the audiences safety needs, as it's showing war in a familiar place , so they will feel a sense of danger. Also, the fact that a family has been used as well as a child may make the audience feel nostalgic and when they understand the message of the advert it will feel a lot more personal, making it more likely for the them to help the cause.



What works/what doesn't 
I think the use of a child really works in the advert, because it shows the audience that innocent and vulnerable people are affected in the war, and we are not aware of it. Also I like the fact that the message is clear, and there is an obvious comparasion between life before and after war. Although there is a lack of text and voice overs, I don't feel they're necessary because we can clearly see the emotions through the characters face.