With the lack of persuasive text the audience will feel that this charity are not in desperate need for the donations, whereas the other charities have made the reader emotionally involves using persuasive language. In conclusion the message they are trying to send out is not clear therefore losing the reader interest.
I firstly notice in the second advertisement (British Red Cross) that there is a lot more text and is a much larger one than the previous one. Its structure is like a letter and so it seems more official, which suggests the reader should take this charity seriously.
Like the first advertisement there is a title however this one addresses the reader directly, which is a lot more effective. “We couldn’t go on without the help of people like you”. The use of pronouns ‘we’ and ‘you’ gives it a personal touch.
The change of tone draws attention and the text turns into future tense and so presenting visions of the future for the reader. Similar to the CCF advertisement it gives the readers choices (‘or’) and this builds up possibilities, and therefore the reader does not feel trapped: “Or a train crash, or perhaps a personal tragedy”. The charity is building up possibilities to the audience of what their money will go towards if they donate.
The second heading is a plea to the reader, which suggests that they are in desperate need for the donation. Whereas the other do not, this piece of text ends in a signature, which gives a personal touch and also authority.
The second half of the advertisement is used to inform the reader quickly, of what they want from you. The repetition of ‘£5’ and the short sentences are so the audience does not forget what they have just read: “£5 could provide 18 people with course of life saving penicillin”. Also at the start of each sentence the future verb ‘could’ is playing on the reader’s emotions, so they feel some guilt about their lifestyle.
The large pictures dotted around the page attract attention and are more emotional than words. The picture of the child makes the reader feel guilty. Also the background of the child in the picture shows how uncomftable it is to live in that sort of environment, and again is addressing the reader with guilt.
In conclusion the mix of formal and informal language is a delicate balance. It is used to make the charity look to have authority but more importantly, the informality is a device used not to intimidate the audience and make them come across warm and friendly. The charity also emphasises on the use of emotive pictures and language to win across the reader. I believe the British Red Cross have done a very good job of varying and informing the reader of what they want from you.
The final advertisement I am studying will be by a charity called ‘CCF’. As I said before the child in the photograph is striking and bold with a sad face. Surrounding the text and picture, is a border of text, which is different and unusual however it is hard to read, therefore not effective. The language in the border is informing the audience of what they are about and how they spread out their money across the world. I feel that if you were not to read the border first you would not understand the basic objectives of the charity, and therefore confused with the informative text.
The main heading ‘If you sponsored a child like Petrina’ presents the reader with choices and possibilities, and is a direct link to the photograph. As we now know the childs name and with her looking upset, we now have feelings for her resulting in the reader feeling guilty.
At the end of the first paragraph it finishes with a rhetorical question and so involves the audience to the think of the possible answer. The second heading is in second person however it does not stand out from the rest of the text.
The sentence ‘some will die’ is designed to shock the reader and as it is a short sentence it has a dramatic impact. Although this is negative the next paragraph has a positive tone and so shows with the readers help, there is hope for these children. In the last paragraph the use of personal pronouns gives it a personal touch. The childs faces near the end are varied (some happy, some sad) and so the reader feels guilt but also is hopeful for the future if they donate. The CCF logo is very clear and recognisable, unlike the Royal National Lifeboat one.
I feel that CCF have done a near perfection job of informing the audience about their charity, however there are a few things wrong with it. The border page is ineffective, the headings are unclear and the page is a little crammed. Apart from these points the use of personal pronouns and emotive language especially, this charity have done an affective job of informing the audience of their need for donations.
In conclusion as reading through these advertisements the most effective advertisement I feel is written by the CCF charity. It varies the layout and changes the tone in the language, to create a read that will persuade and not bore the reader. Also the emotive language and pictures, personal pronouns
