The advertisement is meant to raise awareness on just how important wearing a seatbelt, both in the front and back of the vehicle is. Moreover, it is set in an urban area where people take short trips at low speeds all of the time. Thus showing that even in the mundane, everyday situations when we are prone to thinking “it will never happen to me”; the worst and most unexpected things can happen. It is very the ultimate goal of the advertisement that the meaning comes across very clearly, and also that this message be a lasting one.
Wearing a seatbelt became the law in 1983, therefore the advert is not only for to raise awareness and show that seatbelts save lives, but it is also to demonstrate that you are breaking the law as well by not wearing one.
Obviously being a road safety advertisement, the target audience of the advertisement is any drivers and passengers that use cars either on a regular basis or sporadically. An important factor to consider when appealing to a certain audience is the time that the advertisement is shown each day, how often that it is shown and the language that is used throughout the advertisement. It is important that the target can relate to the tone or features of the advert, if they are to take anything away from it. This particular advertisement was shown up to 25 times a day. It was also part of a series shown on television intermittently throughout the year. This means that the advertisement will be shown at the start of the year for 3 weeks, then at the end of the year for a further 3 weeks. The scene at the end of the advert emerges with a line on it reading, ‘If you had another chance, what would you do differently?’ This phrase is easily understood, and can therefore appeal to any person of any age, and make think about what it is saying, and more importantly, how it relates to them. This illustrates to younger children, who usually travel in the back of cars to realise the dangers of not having a seatbelt on. This is reinforced by another advertisement called ‘Julie’, where a mother is killed by her son in the back seat flying forward and crushing her when she was forced to stop sharply. Her son was not wearing a seatbelt. The reason behind the advertisement being shown several times a day and on a regular basis over a short period of time is that the message is put across in the first few viewings, and then reinforced by each repeat. Through a regular bombardment of this message people are much more likely to be affected by the message and remember it, than to forget about it in a few days; they are being constantly reminded. This is exactly what the producers of the advertisement are playing on. By using young men as those involved, it is also getting the attention of young drivers, whom are arguably seen as less able or experienced drivers, thus more likely to be involved in an accident.
Another key aspect to include is how the advert conveys its message to the audience. Through the display of horrific images from the car crash, ‘this real life, and real people’ approach inspires not only a sense of fear in people but also a chance to relate with parts of the sequence leading to the crash. A view inside the car shows impact a person has to endure as they hit a front windscreen/dashboard, as well as the effect that other passengers in the car have. It makes the audience realise consequences which result from the choices that they make. Through these disturbing images, showing the blood and injuries that are caused by the accident, it certainly shows the truth that lies behind not wearing a seatbelt. The phrase and image that appears at the end of the clip sums up the whole of the advertisement, and makes the audience think about what they have seen after the advert is finished. The advert uses the language in such a way to prevent the audience from forgetting the advertisement, as well of the image of the pizza that was held by one of the rear passengers being splattered all over the front window a symbol of what has happened to those in the car. It is also used to resemble what happened at the start of the advertisement, helping people to recall the whole of the advertisement. Although the advertisement does use shocking images to make its point, they are used in a very serious and respectful way.
The advert is very effective in the ways it targets its audience and gets the message across to them. One way that this advert gets it message across is through the shocking images that it uses. It takes time to change people’s attitudes, but that is exactly what this campaign does, makes people think about road safety. The most important aspect of the advert is the thought it evokes. It doesn’t force, or tell people what to do; it shows the consequences of such actions. Illustrating the advert’s effectiveness, in fulfilling its purpose of raising awareness, and in leaving a lasting message.
