Comparing Charity Adverts
The purpose of this essay is to compare two adverts from two different charities; the first is from the Christians Children’s Fund (CCF) and the second advert is from the Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and analyse how they both try to persuade their audience to change their view and do something to help. CCF is an international humanitarian organisation that helps children all around the world, especially those living in third world countries. The RSPCA is an animal welfare organisation.
This essay will be analysing both adverts and reviewing their effectiveness. The main aim of charitable organisations is to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves and support them so that they can have better lives. Usually we feel as if it is our duty to help those in need. The main reason we give money to charities is because we feel guilty. To see another human being suffer while we have it easy is not a feeling that many people can take. Then we give money to charities to relieve this guilt, this leaves us with a sense of self-satisfaction.
Another reason, we give money to charities is the fact that many people may have experienced the same issues to those in need. They may feel the need to give to these charities because they once had suffered in a similar way. Religion is also another main reason as to why people give to charity. For example, in the Muslim religion, the fifth pillar of Islam, Zakat, states that each year Muslims should give a share of their earning away to those less fortunate. The charity adverts make us feel sympathetic towards the victims and this is what causes us to give money to charity.
The purpose of the RSPCA advert is to raises awareness and gain support for the unnecessary transportation of live animals around Europe, which can last up till eight hours in unhygienic conditions for the animals. However the CCF advert is to raise money for unfortunate children in third world countries there is a quote from the advert to back me up ‘please make that decision today to become a sponsor’, this means that the CCF are looking for money to help Amie and other children like her.
The most striking feature of the CCF is the large image of the little girl (Amie). She looks very innocent so straight away we feel sorry just by looking at the picture without even reading it, her eyes draw a lot of attention as they are bright white which is contrasting with her dark skin. The picture makes us want to no more about what this little girl is going through. And when we read the advert we start to feel even more sorry for Amie.
Like in the first paragraph it says that ‘Amies mother and farther would do anything for her… ‘this tells us that she is not abused or miss treated and she is loved a lot. The second paragraph goes onto say that ‘the family does not have a crust of bread to share’ this makes us feel guilty and leaves us asking question like ‘why do I have so much but this family has barely anything? The third paragraph reminds us that her parents and her are in poverty and however hard her parents work they still will not have enough to feed every one in the family they emphasize this point by saying ‘however hard they work… ‘
In the fourth paragraph there are mostly rhetorical questions like ‘can u imagine. Which makes the reader imagine what it would be like if they were in the young girls position and how much some one’s money would help them help themselves. The fifth paragraph begins with ‘ you jus’ that highlights the fact that the money that we donate is a little for us, but a lot for Amie and her family. Also this paragraph has a list of three, ‘happy, health and full of hope’, which are all motivating things to say to someone in a third world country.
In the sixth paragraph it starts to give a solution for this problem ‘by sponsoring a child through CCF’, it also has many contrasting words to the last paragraph like ‘ terrible, soul destroying’, they show that by giving money you can changed these words into more positive words like ‘nutrition and better healthcare and better schooling’. The seventh paragraph begins with ‘ when you become a sponsor’ at this point they are assuming that you are defiantly going to become a sponsor, they say this instead of saying ‘IF you become a sponsor’.
By saying this they are making you feel as if you are making a difference and one of a huge community, they emphasize this by saying ‘ join with thousands’ and ‘ fight back’. Then to emphasize this point even more they ask you if there is anything more rewarding than helping another person when they need it. The eighth paragraph begins with the shock factor ‘ we know thousands more children like Amie’ they go on to ask for money.
They will leave you thinking about Amie and her friends and what difference you could make by giving money. Opposed to the CCF advertisement the RSPCA advert is to gain support of needless transportation of animals around the continent where these animals are cooped up in a confined space for hour’s even days at a time, ‘ Stop the transportation of animals’. Both averts are targeted to those who are more socially aware and literate such and those people that read broadsheets.
The use of colour is very effective in both adverts; the white in both adverts is eye-catching when next to the black once you compare both the adverts you can see how the colour makes all the difference for example In the CCF advertisement the image of a little girl with big eyes looking very sad this makes the audience feel very remorseful. The huge picture of many sheep all cooped up in a very small looking truck also makes us feel pitiful for the animals, as the picture is taking up most of the page, up cant miss it. The RSPCA advert is presented in 3 steps: the headline, . the picture, and the text.
Whereas the CCF advert is not presented like this. The headline is of the RSPCA advert is very bold and very direct ‘Before they’re roasted in garlic and rosemary they’re soaked in urine and excrement’, The reason for this is to gain attention straight away and because many people eat the meat of sheep this will make them think twice before they just throw away the piece of paper with this information on it. The advert is aimed at the financially secure people, who no about current world affairs. On the whole I believe both adverts (CCF and RSPCA) are presented extremely well for their purpose.
