Charity Advert 3 - British Heart Foundation

This advert is by 'British Heart Foundation' and is called 'watch your own heart attack'. This advert consists of a man experiencing heart attack symptoms, whilst another explains them and the importance of getting help when any of them are experienced.  

Ideologies:

One ideology presented in this advert is that people should be educated on health issues and the importance of knowing the signs of medical problems, in this case heart attacks. 
As well as this, the ideology that individuals don't place enough seriousness when experiencing symptoms of health issues. This advert encourages them to acknowledge that they may be facing serious medical implications.

Visual and narrative techniques: 

At the beginning of the advert, we see the character who is experiencing the heart attack symptoms point of view – as if the audience are him. This will result in the audience feeling as though they are the character, and that they too are experiencing the symptoms. Later on in the advert, a high shot is used – placing the character below the audience. This promotes that the character is inferior in that moment, due to his helplessness. This will evoke sympathy in the audience, they are unable to help the man but have a clear view of his pain. As well as this, as one of the symptoms is experienced by the character, the camera begins to shake and blur, providing the audience with a sense of what having a heart attack feels like, this will also evoke sympathy. Following this, a below shot is used, placing the other character above the eyeline of the audience, giving the impression that he is dominant of the character having a heart attack. This adds to the impression of the character experiencing heart attack symptoms being helpless. Sped up shots of the character are shown following this, displaying his pain and discomfort due to the heart attack symptoms, this will evoke sympathy in the audience as well as appeal to their need for safety. They will fear experiencing this and, therefore, will want to prevent this happening anymore, which will encourage them to donate to the charity.  

Advertising techniques: 

As previously mentioned, the need for safety is appealed to within this advert. The audience will want to be free from the threat of having a heart attack, the knowledge provided within this advert will help them to identify symptoms and receive help earlier. As well as this, they will feel as though they are assisting others in being safe by donating to the charity.  

What works/ what doesn't: 

I believe the concept of this advert is effective. Providing the audience with a sense of what a heart attack is like as well as explaining it to them alongside a view of the pain it causes an individual will help to evoke sympathy and awareness on the topic.  

The camera work throughout the advert is effective, each of the different shot types assist in shocking the audience as well as persuading them to feel certain emotions. Which will contribute to the audience supporting the charity.