Comparing two charity adverts: Which is more effective Essay Example
Everyday we see adverts appealing for us to donate money to a good cause. Two examples of charity adverts include a Medecins Sans Frontieres advert, both appealing for donations to help with the Afghan Crisis.
They both use many different persuasive techniques, including pictures, text and headings among others. However both adverts approach and use these techniques in different ways.Firstly the UNICEF advert. This advert starts with a small yet bold heading, saying what the advert is about: "Afghan Crisis Children's Appeal." This is a good technique because although it isn't particularly eye catching, it gives a little inclination as to hat the advert is about so it compels the reader to fine out more, by reading on.
Secondly, the UNICEF advert has a large picture of poor children looking frightened and sad, with the word '
...Help.' in simple, bold letters. The picture is a very successful persuasive technique because although we as readers still don't know what the advert is properly about, it tugs on the heartstrings and makes the reader feel sorry for the children shown. We don't know what has happened to them, but the way they look says it obviously wasn't good. This is because they look sad and scared as stated previously.
The picture was obviously very carefully chosen to have this affect on the reader.Another technique through which the organisation gets across their message is through a small amount of text. Underneath the picture, there is a small amount of columned text. The fact that it is organised into columns immediately makes it easier to read, understand and digest, especially for dyslexics and people who struggle with literacy. This shows
that UNICEF has put some thought into who will read their advert.
However, the writing font size is very small, which detracts from the usefulness of the columns. But the font is sans serif font, which means there are no extra add-ons (such as these) making it easier again to read quickly. People would be more drawn to the advert because the picture makes you want to find out more about the children; consequently the reader would read the text to find out more.Moreover, the actually content of the text is very persuasive in the choice of language used.
It uses personal pronouns like "you" to make the reader feel like they are being personally addressed. It talks of the hardships that the afghan children have had to endure. This is successful in persuading the reader to part with the credit card number, and eventually money too. The text also used lots of adjectives such as "" and "" to emphasise the impact of the crisis on the children. This, yet again, really brings it home especially for parents reading the advert, because they might begin to think" what if it where mine?" etcetera. This is a very successful persuasive technique: to get personal with the reader's feelings in order to achieve one's goal.
Finally, the advert has a medium sized coupon at the bottom. This includes a large printed phone local rate phone number, a logo, and website address, free post address and donation slip. On the donation slip there are four boxes for suggested donation amounts up to a figure of £100. This suggests that the advert is aimed at adults with children; the
advert talks about the effects of the crisis on the children, and has a big picture of children, and so is intended to reach out to parents, but it is also more specific in asking for credit card details.On the other hand, the Medicens Sans Frontieres approaches the same afghan crisis but in a different way. Firstly, the advert has the name of the organisation at the top then the title of what the advert is about; "Afghan Crisis Appeal".
This is a similar approach to the issue, as the UNICEF advert: however, the background is dark and the chunkier than and not as clear as in the UNICEF advert.One of the main and very obvious differences is the use of pictures to entice and grab the emotions of the target reader: the UNICEF advert uses a very clear and effective picture whereas the Medecins Sans Frontieres advert has no picture, just a plain and dark background and light coloured text. Subsequently, although the two organisations are approaching the same issue, they have different ways f doing it which reflects on the impact they have on the target audience. Another difference is that whereas the UNICEF advert has its writing set out into columns, the Medecins Sans Frontieres Advert has no such plan to it; it is one block of text, with small paragraph breaks.Also, the picture in the UNICEF advert narrows down the article subject, as it is of children in need, which is what they go on to appeal for; the Medecins Sans Frontieres advert is just a little more general: ".
..to Afghans in the country". As with the UNICEF advert, the context
of the text is to be taken into consideration.
Firstly it talks about the company's plans and what they have been doing: "Teas from the medical agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have been working in Afghanistan since 1979...we continue to provide relief, care, food and shelter.
"It talks about what the organisation does, but the way it describes their work as "essential...life saving..
.experienced workers." This swings the reader in their favour, because it makes the groups work sound better. There is also a plea type saying in a large font saying "Please make a donation now.
" This makes the group seem slightly more desperate than the other advert, but it would also have an impact on the reader: they would feel guilty, after reading all the text, if they didn't donate.Furthermore, as well as the UNICEF advert; the Medecins Sans Frontieres advert had a donation slip, including the same features as the UNICEF advert but with some differences. Firstly the phone number is free, but there is no freepost address. They also have a donation slip, set out in almost the same way with tick boxes and space for credit card details, but they ask for more money. This may be because they are not just working with children but with others too.
They ask for up to �250 and other. In the bottom there is also a logo for the group, which is simple and effective, yet, slightly irrelevant (it is a little man with a linear background.) again this shows they are aiming their advert at adults with credit cards.In conclusion, I think that the UNICEF advert is a better and more successful advert than
the Medecins Sans Frontieres advert, because although the two adverts use similar persuasive techniques, the way the approach them and use them makes them different and changes there success.
These include use of pictures, headings, donation slips, text and content of the text, and layout. The UNICEF advert uses all of these techniques and tailors them to fit the purpose of their advert. An obvious one would be how they use a picture to sway the reader's emotions, whereas the Medecins Sans Frontieres advert uses no such thing. Furthermore, the UNICEF advert looks like more thought, care and time went into it, giving it a better-rounded and successful appearance that The Medecins Sans Frontieres advert.
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