Underline the key terms
How does the WaterAid advert appeal to its target audiences? [10]
Knee jerk reaction
The WaterAid advert uses a positive mode of address to appeal to it’s target audiences
Plan
Positioning
Facial expressions
MES
Bright colour palette
Codes and conventions
Singing
Diegesis
Diegetic sound
Immersion
Africa
Stuart Hall - reception (PNO)
Gilroy (postcolonial)
Binary opposition
Gauntlet - identity/pick and mix
Cultivation
Stereotypical
(Uses and gratifications)
90s pop
Middle aged working class British target audience
Scheduled for daytime television
Escapism
Ideology
Introduction
DAC - definition, argument, context
Target audience refers to the specific demographic that the producer of a media product wishes to reach. This can be achieved through creating audience appeal. In this essay I shall argue that the WaterAid advert uses a positive mode of address to appeal to its working class middle aged target audience. WaterAid is a successful UK charity that provides water to impoverished communities.
Paragraphs
PEA - Point, evidence, argument
One way in which the WaterAid advert uses a positive mode of address to appeal to it’s target audience is to cultivate an ideology that ‘African people’ are vulnerable and must be helped. This is constructed through a montage of close up shots of Claudia’s Face and feet, which reinforces the MES of Claudia’s flimsy and cheap looking ballet pumps. In addition to this, the use of facial close ups directly positions the audience in a personal mode of address, and forces us to identify with her. Stuart Hall argues that producers use media language to encode their ideological perspectives and to manipulate the target audience. By constructing an appealing mode of address, the producers of the WaterAid advert are able to appeal to their working class middle aged target audience.
Colour palette and selection of MES
Use of positive and happy MES for eg clean clothes, laughter, singing
Construction of a positive narrative - advert takes place after restoration of equilibrium
Avoid desensitisation
Representation of teenage girl creates a pleasing and relatable mode of address
Use of 1990 pop song will be relatable to an English speaking target audience
The use of a direct mode of address constructs a particularly persuasive and appealing ideology
A straightforward mode of address is used which lacks any challenging information. The advert doesn’t even identify what country it is set in which may appeal to it’s uneducated working class target audience
The 90 second version of the advert would be screened during daytime television commercials, and therefore would appeal to a predominantly working class target audience
However, although this advert is constructed to be appealing, a negotiated reading may be to assume that people like Claudia are fine, and do need help. This advert lacks the typical genre conventions of charity adverts that tend to use a hard hitting mode of address, and instead takes a softer approach which may not appeal to all audiences.