Conventions of Campaigns

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.