The Advertisement by Cordaid - Assignment Example

The advertisement by Cordaid, which is an international development organization that is working to facilitate the poor with its ample attempts of collecting emergency aid and with a motive to eradicate poverty, is very effective. The model in the advertisement is shown holding one of the upper class consumer goods in striking pose of a top model’s photo shoot. The price of the luxury item is quoted next to the price of a basic human need. In one of the picture the sunglasses are quoted as costing 24 euros with another statement right below it, stating that it costs 8 euros for access of water. This ad provides food for thought for every one of us. It reflects the fact that while we indulge in the luxuries, there are people literally dying of not getting the basic human needs. A very emotional appeal is used in the advertisement to make people pause and think with a broader perspective. It in fact has become very necessary for people to see outside their secluded comfort zone and take in to account the people who are barely making it. The fact that almost half the world which is over three billion people are living on less than $ 2.50 a day is reason enough to do that (Shah, 2010). The advertisement has a very mocking feel to it as well. The models are shown posing like any top model in Vogue selling outrageously expensive products. The use of irony to plea for aid while posing like a high profile fashion shoot, is in fact, a satire on the commercialism of the branded products. The ad is cashing and drawing on the guilt of the wealthy and affluent for the donations. This ad is used to stir the feeling of guilt in the wealthy next time they choose to brand shop. So clearly the target market is people who are capable to donate and contribute towards the greater good of eradicating poverty. The ultimate message of the advertisement is amply conveyed through the effective and relevant illustration and captions. The visual comparisons of the price of one luxury item with the price of provision of a basic and simple human need is clearly depicting that it takes a lot less to support a poverty stricken person than to invest in a worldly luxurious item. The feel of the advertisement is quite depressing. The back drop of a un-habitat and shabby, dreary and dry desert is creating a very depressing ambience which was obviously the need of an advertisement prompting people to contribute and extend a helping hand to the poor. The visuals of the advertisement are working to reflect poverty at its extreme. The look of mal-nutrition-ed model in a humble setting subtly and rightfully portrays the innumerable human beings greatly relying on us for their basic needs. The attention grabbing potential of the ad is greatly enhanced by the differentiated strategy used by the marketer of this ad. This ad presents a non-conventional picture of poverty which is very arresting. The clear discord and stark disparity of the poor modeling the up market consumer goods calls for attention. It can be regarded as a breath of fresh air from the usual tear jerking visuals of ads campaigning with the same motive that arouse feelings of pity instead of rightful guilt. The ad plays on the phenomena of stereotyping. The prospect that some people might find the ad racist and offensive cannot be ignored. The Africans who are the subject matter of the ad might think that they are being labeled as the needy class. Many African tribes such as the Masai are known to have tremendous dignity and pride in their culture. The notion of being portrayed as helpless and forced to embody poverty and low well being time and again can be intolerable to many black and African people (Plous & Neptune, 1997). The problem with stereotyping is not that it is untrue but is the half truth. The execution of the ad is very well thought. Poverty is generally known to be portrayed by showing visuals of people in dire conditions through illustration of them either scavenging in the trash for food or begging. Many people have become immune to ads like that because they provide little food for thought or a feeling of pity is aroused at most with little (if any) action. This advertisement in contrast is a clear call for action as it takes the audience on a guilt trip. The ultimate purpose of any advertisement is to persuade the audience in to action. This ad campaign is doing just that by directing prompt action on the part of the audience. The fact that you can simply text to make a contribution alone testifies the ultimate success of this ad campaign. A number of studies have shown that the use of visual that is inconsistent with the verbal content leads to more recall and greater processing of the information presented (Wilmshurst & Mackay 1999). The new angle on the extravagant spending of a regular consumer like us in contrast with the basic amenities that we tend to take for granted clearly calls for self evaluation and engages the audience in more effortful and elaborate processing. The well thought visuals and illustration in a very humble setting and lightening along with the extremely creative message has the power to retain in the memory. The flawless format of the ad and its use of differentiating strategy are helping to hold the attention of the target market and become very effective consequently. References Shah, Anup. “Poverty Facts and Stats” Global Issues, Updated: 28 Mar. 2010. Accessed: 15 Apr 2010. Wilmshurst, John & Mackay, Adrian (1999), “Fundamentals of advertising”, Butterworth-Heinemann Plous, S. & Neptune, D. (1999), “Racial and Gender Biases in Magazine Advertising”, USA: Psychology of women Vol. 21 pp: 627-644 Read More