CASE STUDY: WaterAid ad. (brief notes)

+ Effective as it doesn't comply with the general conventions of charity ads (e.g. creating guilt and shame on the audience)- Gerbner's theory of cultivation 

How does this charity advert use technical codes to provoke responses, emotions and connections with its target audience?

+ DIRECT- the typical voiceover of a man (part of target audience) is replaced with a song sung by the actual person the money is going to- stronger connection with audience as it is a 70s/80s melody.
Link to target audience: western middle-class
the wealthy- bleak connotations of establishing shot (cramped plant pot and radio + drizzle) is juxtaposed with the warm shot of the water that dominates the frame, shining as there's sunlight on the background (water for good)- Binary depositions
+ PERSONALISATION- "Claudia". Several close-ups of her, she's placed in the middle of the frame, turning her indirect mode of address into a more direct one. Shaky camera-shots- creates a more realistic and personal insight into her life, supported by the background ambiance (audio codes) with sound effects of grasshoppers.
+ POSITIVE- overall warm lighting and colour, an affectionate tone continued with the clothing and the body expressions- upbeat
iconography- crops growing represents health and growth, similar to water- Semiotics
Song- message of hope, evoking a heartening tone. Sound bridge- connection between both worlds

It does stick to some techniques in charity ads with the statistic "650 million people still don't have access to clean drinking water", however as it is not accompanied with negative visual elements it stands out. 

How is Africa represented in the advert?
The representations in the charity advert AVOIDS CLICHES like pessimistic close-ups of sad children, melancholic stringed music... Instead, the positiveness is carried out through the clothing as there's a quick shot of a child running in a school uniform, indicating they are healthy and being educated.
In the end they're smiling, and the shot is blurred out by the sunlight (motif), so the positive theme is continued smoothly throughout - Semiotics
Active audience- it's up to them to imagine how the lives of the children would be without their donations