How effective are the M.S adverts?
We have recently been looking at three adverts that promote the awareness of a disease called MS or Multiple sclerosis; this disease is caused by scabs or imperfections on the covering of the nerves known as the myelin sheath. This prevents messages from the brain successfully reaching their destination causing problems.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild such as numbness in the limbs or severe paralysis or loss of vision. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. They are a non-profit organization that tries to gain awareness so people will pledge money or support. These three adverts appeared in the Guardian newspaper, a respected broadsheet and also on billboards. Even though these adverts may have been aimed at sophisticated people they appeal to a large audience and the language is simple and easy to read which makes these adverts have a universal appeal. The adverts appeared several years ago to raise awareness of the disease; sales and donations are of secondary issue.
The first advert is an introductory advert, it introduces the reader to the disease and tells anyone who has no idea about the illness all the basic symptoms, and you don't really need to know much about MS it's all explained. The heading at the top of the page is a rhetorical question,
"What's MS like?"
It is in white print on a black background so it immediately jumps out at the reader, after reading the heading we wonder about the answer and call to mind whatever we know about the disease. Then comes the answer to the question, the answer is that MS is totally unpredictable. We are told to close our eyes and stick a pin in the page, this is a clever idea by the advertiser, using a children's game like 'Pin the tail on the donkey', a game with which most people are familiar. This also helps convey the random nature of the disease and how one never knows when and which symptoms will affect them. Then underneath in large, bold, black print on a white background is the phrase "Every day for the rest of your life", this has quite a big impact on the reader as we learn MS is incurable and the sufferer may have something different wrong with them every day till they die, each and every day may be tainted by the disease.
The picture is very emotive, the man is normal, not deformed or odd to look at, he looks like any ordinary person, which tells us that the disease may affect anyone. The man looks out at us, the reader and we cannot avoid his direct stare, he has a serious expression which reinforces the fact that the disease is serious and the advert is covering a serious topic. The picture appears to be a passport picture, very simple and straight forward, the photo is creased which makes the picture very personal, like its been folded and put in somebody's wallet, like its someone's son or husband again this helps us realize the disease can strike anyone. The folds may also represent the imperfection MS causes or the cross a sufferer may have to bear. On the picture is a catalogue of symptoms but no consequences or effects like the other two adverts we have studied. This advert is merely to educate us about the symptoms of the disease. It provokes us to imagine what it would be like living with the disease, and how the disease is so random; other diseases may have symptoms which are nearly always the same. On the advert there are so many different symptoms,
We have recently been looking at three adverts that promote the awareness of a disease called MS or Multiple sclerosis; this disease is caused by scabs or imperfections on the covering of the nerves known as the myelin sheath. This prevents messages from the brain successfully reaching their destination causing problems.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild such as numbness in the limbs or severe paralysis or loss of vision. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. They are a non-profit organization that tries to gain awareness so people will pledge money or support. These three adverts appeared in the Guardian newspaper, a respected broadsheet and also on billboards. Even though these adverts may have been aimed at sophisticated people they appeal to a large audience and the language is simple and easy to read which makes these adverts have a universal appeal. The adverts appeared several years ago to raise awareness of the disease; sales and donations are of secondary issue.
The first advert is an introductory advert, it introduces the reader to the disease and tells anyone who has no idea about the illness all the basic symptoms, and you don't really need to know much about MS it's all explained. The heading at the top of the page is a rhetorical question,
"What's MS like?"
It is in white print on a black background so it immediately jumps out at the reader, after reading the heading we wonder about the answer and call to mind whatever we know about the disease. Then comes the answer to the question, the answer is that MS is totally unpredictable. We are told to close our eyes and stick a pin in the page, this is a clever idea by the advertiser, using a children's game like 'Pin the tail on the donkey', a game with which most people are familiar. This also helps convey the random nature of the disease and how one never knows when and which symptoms will affect them. Then underneath in large, bold, black print on a white background is the phrase "Every day for the rest of your life", this has quite a big impact on the reader as we learn MS is incurable and the sufferer may have something different wrong with them every day till they die, each and every day may be tainted by the disease.
The picture is very emotive, the man is normal, not deformed or odd to look at, he looks like any ordinary person, which tells us that the disease may affect anyone. The man looks out at us, the reader and we cannot avoid his direct stare, he has a serious expression which reinforces the fact that the disease is serious and the advert is covering a serious topic. The picture appears to be a passport picture, very simple and straight forward, the photo is creased which makes the picture very personal, like its been folded and put in somebody's wallet, like its someone's son or husband again this helps us realize the disease can strike anyone. The folds may also represent the imperfection MS causes or the cross a sufferer may have to bear. On the picture is a catalogue of symptoms but no consequences or effects like the other two adverts we have studied. This advert is merely to educate us about the symptoms of the disease. It provokes us to imagine what it would be like living with the disease, and how the disease is so random; other diseases may have symptoms which are nearly always the same. On the advert there are so many different symptoms,
