This is a poster from the 2008 US Presidential Election campaign, promoting Obama, the Democrat candidate and current president. The poster is focused on the image of Obama; he is not looking forwards, but upwards, as if in thought. This suggests wisdom and confidence, both features that Americans would want in a leader and make them like Obama. He could also be looking forwards to the future, if the Democrats won the election. He is dressed in a suit, which suggests professionalism and intelligence. The use of patriotic colours is also very important. The poster only uses blue, white and red, the colours of the American flag which creates the image that he stands for traditional American values, making him appeal to the public, and that he is working hard for America. This message is highlighted by the American badge pinned to his chest, where it is both clearly visible and near his heart, which could represent his love for the country. These connotations are honourable and give the audience the impression that the Democrats are the party to vote for. The colours and images are very basic, which means the poster will appeal to people both sexes and all ages- the target audience of the campaign is very wide, because the party obviously want as many votes as possible. There is the simple slogan of 'Yes we can' at the bottom of the poster. It is short, but snappy, and sticks in the heads of the public. It uses 'We', making the audience feel included, as though they will make a difference if they vote for Obama. It will make people feel as though they belong somewhere by voting for Obama. It is a positive and confident statement that will make people feel hopeful and make them want to believe that Obama will be able to fix the country's problems.
Most campaigns will follow certain conventions, such as:
The logo/ brand name of the campaign group. This can be found in all campaigns, regardless of what form of media. In posters the logo is generally found in one of the bottom corners, and is bright and clear, for example the 'Think!' logo in the Stop. Think. Live campaign below. In television or film adverts, the logo is usually shown for the last few seconds, to ensure that it is the last thing that the audience remember about the advert and keep it fresh inside their minds. An example of this is the Stop. Think. Live television campaign that accompanies the poster. The logo is shown on a black background, which draws even more attenion to it. In radio campaigns, the narrator will probably state the name of the campaign group towards the end of the advert.
The name of the company supporting the campaign. This is usually found with the logo/ brand name, as they are linked, however there might not be as much attention drawn to it as it is not as important to the audience. In the poster below for Smokefree, listing reasons why people should quit smoking, we can see the NHS logo, as they are supporting the campaign.
All campaigns will include some contact details. This could be a website address, phone number, email, link to social networking or address. This offers the audience a direct link to the campaign, and allows them to get involved with whatever the campaign stands for. In a poster, the contact details are normally found towards the bottom, however they will be visible and easy to read so encourage the public to get in touch. An example of this is in the 'Never Voted Tory Before' campaign, where there is a link to the website; 'Find out why Julie from Llandudno is voting Tory at conseravtives.com/society'.
Lots of campaigns will use a slogan or catchphrase that will grab the attention of the audience and make them remember the campaign/ the message it is giving. The slogan will be short and catchy, and often sum up what the campaign stands for. In posters the slogan will usually be in a large font, so the audience will definitely see it, and it will grab their attention. In a radio or tv advert, sometimes the slogan can be turned into a short jingle that makes it even more memorable and sticks in the audience's head. An example of the use of a slogan in a campaign is in this Childline poster. The anti-bullying helpline released a series of minimalistic posters that featured the catchphrase 'Life has its ups and downs', which was simple but effective. It encouraged lots of children to call Childline and talk about feeling this way.
All campaigns will have a clear message, however some campaigns, mostly Public Safety and Charity campaigns will have a message that is hard hitting. These campaigns will often use shock or threat as methods of emphasizing the message of the campaign. An example of this is this campaign, telling people not to telephone people whom they know are driving. This message is clear from the text on the right. The blood coming from the phone supports this message by showing what could go wrong for somebody who was on the phone whilst driving. The clear message and shocking image should discourage the audience from doing this.
Campaigns will often use visually similar images and videos for their posters and adverts to make to clear that they are connected. This gives the campaign visual continuity and looks professional, as well as reminding the audience of the linked forms of media and the message they give. The images used will be relevant to the message of the campaign in some way, and are specifically chosen for because of their connotations. Some examples of similar images used in campaigns is in the NOH8 campaign. All the photographs used are of elite people, which immediately attracts a wider audience, and the plain colours means the audience are attracted to the bright logo, which shows the aim of the campaign. The celebrities are all photographed in the same outfit with the same NOH8 logo painted on their cheek and tape over their mouth. This means that whoever the person is, the makeup identifies them as a supporter of the campaign.
Community originally meant a group of people who shared the same values. Nowadays, a community is the specific area or place where a group of people who live and interact with one another, and often have a cultural and historical heritage.
What areas are there in the local area that are 'Community Spaces'?
Community spaces are areas that have been designed for public use, where people can relax, meet up and socialise. These can be areas like parks, pubs, cafés, churches and libraries. Some examples of community areas in Baldock are in the slideshow below.
Why is it important to have space for members of the community?
It is important there are community areas because it gives the local people somewhere to relax, hold events and meet up with friends. Children and teenagers especially need community space so that they have plenty to do in their free time.; if there is a park or sports centre then there is the opportunity to play sports and start recreational clubs. Some areas, like fields or nature reserves, allow plants and wildlife to thrive, which make local areas look nicer and benefit the environment.
What type of community campaigns have there been (e.g Parks, gardens, community centres, youth clubs, outdoor gym areas, sensory gardens) and what was the space like before?
In Baldock there are two ongoing campaigns;
The first is to protect and develop Baldock Town Hall. Some local volunteers campaigned to set up a charity for these purposes, and used local media to promote their work, such as the local papers, Twitter and Facebook. They now have ownership of the town hall, and plan to continue with fundraising events so they can begin work on the town hall. Website: http://www.bthl.org.uk/
The second is a Facebook campaign run by a local teenage boy, called 'Baldock needs a skate park'. He is trying to gather a wide enough following to convince the council to build a small skate park, which is a popular idea among local teenagers. Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baldock-needs-a-skatepark/136058153167281
Dogs Trust is a British charity who take in and re-home abandoned dogs. They have a campaign that promotes the cause and encourages people to adopt their dogs. They use various cross-media platforms that demonstrate different forms of campaigns.
This is a Dogs Trust radio advert; it promotes the charity by talking about what they do and saying how successful they are. There is emotional language, anecdotes and statistic used, which all make the advert more memorable and more likely to make the audience want to support the charity.
This is a Dogs Trust television campaign from 2009, urging people to sponsor one of the dogs they have rescued and using persuasive devices that tell the audience why they think their work is so important.
This is a Dogs Trust magazine advert, and is very simple but effective. The advert is focused on the image of a sad looking dog, which makes the audience feel guilty and the simple slogan 'Small dog seeks big love' that will stick in people's heads. The colour scheme is also the same as the other adverts, so people will immediately associate the bright yellow, white and black with Dogs Trust.
This is a leaflet that Dogs Trust hand out to the public to spread word of the charity. It goes into more detail than the television, radio and magazine adverts about the work the charity does. The main advertising techniques used here are persuasive devices in the text- 'We found a whole new family at Dogs Trust' is an anecdote that proves their successful work. There is also direct address, emotional language and statistics- '£3 a month helps keep dogs like Midnight safe and warm.'
Dogs Trust also promote their work through the internet- as well as pop up adverts, they have a website that tells the audience all about their work, with links to current campaigns as well as old ones. The same colour scheme is used for visual continuity as well as direct address ('Will you give your heart to me?'). The images used are also of young, healthy dogs, that people looking at the site would find sweet- this may convince them to follow the click though and support the campaign.
Other Forms of Campaign
There are other important forms of campaign that Dogs Trust have chosen not to use, and these include;
A billboard, for example this Ikea advert- it is placed in a obvious public place where lots of people will definitely see it. Bright colours are used, and it is 3D, which makes it look even more interesting for passers by.
Social Networking is an increasingly popular method of campaigning- this is a Facebook campaign in my local area for a skate park. Through social networking, people can be instantly updated with a campaign and share all sorts of important media through the page.
The comparethemarket.com adverts use humour to make their television and radio adverts get stuck in people's heads. They focus around a Russian meerkat, Aleksandr Orlov, who complains that people keep on mistaking his website, comparethemeerkat.com, for comparethemarket.com. The adverts were so successful that 'simples', the catchphrase of the meerkat, became a popular phrase. Comparethemarket.com also sold a book called 'A Simples Life', which was the 'autobiography' of Aleksandr Orlov. They also offer stuffed toys of the meerkat to anyone who gets insurance through the website as an incentive.
NOH8 (Raising Awareness of an Issue)
The NOH8 Campaign is an American-based campaign, trying to raise awareness of homophobia and gay rights. They do not use television or radio adverts, simply basic images of celebrities with their mouths taped shut, to symbolise their voices being silence by Prop 8 (a Californian act banning same-sex marriage). The campaign has become successful worldwide due to the use of elite people- each celebrity photographed means more people discover the movement. Nearly 30, 000 faces have been photographed as part of the campaign.
Cadbury's (Advertising Campaign)
The Cadbury's Gorilla advert was released in 2007 and was one of the most talked about campaigns of the year. There are no words, just a gorilla drumming to the song 'In the Air' by Phil Collins. It was famous because it had nothing to do with the product, which was chocolate. The gorilla was random, and people began talking about it, and therefore Cadbury's, which was why it was so successful.
The 'Never Voted Tory' campaign was launched in 2010, at the time of the general election, to try and convince people to vote for the Conservative party. It uses quotes and images from people of all demographics, to show that everyone can vote Conservative- it appeals to most adults. The accompanying videos show the same people in their day-to-day lives explaining why they voted Conservative and why they're glad they did- the language makes the party sound appealing and like they are the way forward, showing their aims and strong points.
Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike (Public Safety Campaign)
This campaign was famously launched in the 1970's, and warned drivers to think about motorbikes at junctions to avoid crashes. The message was direct, serious and simple. It worked because of the simple rhyming slogan at the end, that stuck in people's heads; 'Think once, think twice, think bike.' Many adults today still remember the slogan, even though it is nearly forty years old, proving how successful the campaign is.
Obama Yes We Can (Political Campaign)
In the 2008 US Presidential elections, the Democrats used this poster of Barack Obama to gain votes for their party- it shows him in the colours of the American flag with the caption 'Yes We Can'. The poster became iconic over the course of the election, particularly the slogan- it was simple but confident, and gave the Americans hope. It made the party look good, like they were the ones worth voting for- the Democrats won the election.
Some campaigns use threatening images, statistics and language that intimidates the audience into wanting to support the message of the campaign. This could be by buying a product, finding out more about a topic or attending an event- it depends on the purpose of the campaign. An example of the use of threat in an advert is in this Canadian campaign, trying to convince people to quit smoking by using an image of a man who is suffering from lung cancer as a result of smoking. The image acts as a threat to smokers of what could happen is they continue smoking and works as a persuasive device to deter them from doing so. (It also uses shock).
Shock
Some campaigns use shock as a way of stunning their audiences into taking action, and make them want to do as the campaign asks them to. This could be by using a certain image, or a shocking statistic/ fact relevant to the matter of the campaign. An example of this is the Benardo's campaign, which caused uproar due to the disturbing image that was used. However it worked in favour of Benardo's because it got the audience talking about child poverty, which was the issue that the campaign was trying to raise awareness of.
Catchy music/ slogan
If a campaign uses television, internet or radio adverts then sometimes a short, catchy tune is sometimes played at the end, or a slogan is used. This is designed to stick inside the audience's head, making them remember the campaign and what it is working towards. An example of a catchy slogan used in an advertising campaign is the CompareTheMarket.com advert, which was promoting the comparison website. The jingle is played twice, and although it is only a few seconds long, it is memorable. There is also the slogan "CompareTheMeerkat.com, ComapreTheMarket.com- simples!" which is used in most of the company's campaigns. "Simples!" became a word used not only by the meerkat in the advert, but by the public too, which is a constant reminder of the website. The campaign got people talking and was hugely successful.
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Enigma
Enigma uses mystery to captivate the audience, and is something unusual that will leave people feeling puzzled. Using enigma in a campaign will make the audience want to find what the campaign is actually about, and they will find out more about the campaign by researching it. An example of an enigmatic advert is the Joop advertising campaign below. Joop are a German fashion house, however from this poster you would not know that; it simple shows a man and woman posing in a dark cinema theatre, looking straight at the camera. There is no indication of what the purpose of the poster is about, simply the image and brand name.
Celebrity endorsement/ elite people
One way of making a campaign appeal to people is to include images, quotes and videos from famous people that are relevant to the campaign. This will attract fans of the celebrity and make them feel that if the celebrity is supporting a certain cause or brand then they should too, to be like them. Even if the audience is not a fan of the celebrity, then they still might be interested- if the focus of the campaign is good enough for an elite person, then it must be good enough for them. An example of using a celebrity in a campaign to attract a wider audience is Kellan Lutz for PETA (who aim to establish and defend animal rights). If Kellan's fans saw this poster, they are more likely to want to support animal rights because that is what he is promoting in this image.
Persuasive Language
Most campaigns will use persuasive devices such as rhetorical questions, repetition, direct address, rule of 3, rhyming or statistics. These are methods designed to make something stick in a person's head, make the campaign more memorable and use language to try and make the audience share their belief. An example of using persuasive devices in a campaign is in this Centrepoint television advert. The narrator uses direct address and emotional language. This speaks to the audience directly as though they should personally get involved; it sounds as though the advert is talking to them. The emotional language exaggerates the good points of the charity and the bad points of the anecdote, highlighting how important the charity's work is and urging the audience to donate.
Humour
Some campaigns will use humour as a way of making their cause stick in people's heads; comedy gets people talking, and therefore a campaign using humour will be more popular and talked about than a serious one. This video is from a snickers advertising campaign, and is lighthearted and funny. People talked about the advert on social networking sites such as twitter (see below) and many parodies of the advert have been created because the public found it so funny.
Sex
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Sex is a key marketing point, and is only really used in advertising campaigns,
mainly for products aimed at men, using images or videos of young women that
men will find attractive. An example of using sex in an advertising campaign is
in this poster advertising Beyoncé’s perfume 'Heat'. She is wearing a low cut
dress and standing in a confident pose; men will find her attractive, and want
to buy the perfume for their girlfriends and women may want to buy the perfume
thinking they will become as good-looking and confident as Beyoncé.
Stereotypes
Some campaigns use stereotypes because they reflect society and are easy to recognise. They are seen in many campaigns because they are so easy and people can usually relate to a stereotype surrounding them, meaning they will pay more attention to the message of the campaign if it uses someone similar to them. An example of this is the 'I've Never Voted Tory Before' campaign, a series of videos with different people telling the audience why they voted Conservative. The videos featured people of different demographics, using stereotypes to help people identify with them; e.g. a young mother at home with her children, an older man at work and a business women. These stereotypes attract people who live similarly, making them want to pay attention and see what the conservatives could do for them.
Christina Perri photographed as part of the NOH8 Campaign, trying to raise awareness of homophobia and work towards equal rights
A campaign uses various cross media platforms to raise awareness of a particular goal or cause. Most campaigns can be seperated into the following catergories;
Political
Public Safety
Advertising
Charity
Some of the main reasons that campaigns are produced is to:
Promote a product - a poster from the Maybelline Baby Lips advertising campaign
It uses persuasive techniques, bright colours and images to attract the target market group and convince people to buy a certain product.
Publicise an event- a poster for 'Heart in the Park', a concert in London
There are attractive colours and images used, but it is mainly details and information about the event itself to get people to come.
Educate people- British Heart Foundation's #HardAndFast campaign, educating people on what to do in case there is an emergency by teaching CPR
There is comedy used, to make people pay attention to the video as well as a catchy song in the background, although the subject is serious- it gets across the messages and teaches the audience basic hand CPR.
Raise awareness of an issue- the NOH8 campaign is raising awareness of the rights that people are denied because of their sexuality in the US
Persuasive and emotional language is used to make the audience want to help the cause, as well as speakers of all demographics- this means a wider target audience.
Provide a public service (Sometimes known as PSAs, Public Service Announcements)- www.ThatsNotCool.com launched a campaign where teenagers could talk to councilors online about any issues they have, and help them through it.
Bright colours and cartoon images are used, which immediately grab people's attention, however the focus is on the text which is addresses serious issues and urges teenagers to get help.
I will use images, videos and persuasive techniques to attract the target audience/ make them want to support my ideas. I have looked at the following two videos;
I like the use of images and videos with simple text and statistics that reinforce what the voiceover is saying- if I choose to make a documentary I would like to try something similar.
This video has some good ideas of things to look at in the local area that need regenerating and how to get people interested in my ideas.
Areas I could focus on for the campaign
This is Avenue Park, the main park in Baldock- it is used by families and young children, and there is nothing there of interest for teenagers.
I think that Baldock would benefit from an area for teenagers to relax and meet up with friends- there is nowhere in the town for older children. The field opposite Hartsfield JMI School could be regenerated into an area for teenagers.
The pictures above were taken around five years ago, when the park was in relatively good condition, and was used by lots of local secondary school students, especially for football. Now, the field is in a bad condition- the field is more muddy than grassy, the football pitch lines are faded, the bushes are badly kept and the goalposts are wonky and rusted. There is also a small building at the edge of the field, previously used by the football players and then a darts club, however it is now abandoned. The football pitch could be redone, the greenery tidied up and the building renovated- it could be rented for small functions in the summer, and there is room for a small skate area. It is practically in the centre of the town, so people would know about it.
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