Blood Donation Advertisement - Essay Example

February 14, From Bloody Gifts to Second Life through Blood: Analysis of Blood Donation Advertisement Bloody gifts, anyone? Some people see blood donation as a scary process because they fear needles or injections, while others who have already donated see it as a gift of life. Volunteer organizations are finding ways of attracting more people to donate blood through advertisement. The American Red Cross is involved in helping people in emergency situations, so it needs blood donations to do so. The advertisement below is one of the ads from it (See Figure 1). It is a picture of a blood bag with two phrases. “First-time” is in upside-down position; while on the upper side is the phrase “second chance.” The image effectively uses claims of policy and values to connect to its target audience of first-time blood donors, so that they may be persuaded to see the urgency, benefits, and values of blood donation because one simple first act of donating blood is enough to preserve the right to life by saving human lives. To describe the rhetorical situation more, the photo uses the “exigence” through claims of policy regarding the need for blood donation from all those who have not yet given blood to others. The “exigence” is the urgent problem (McGaan) that many people need blood, but blood supply is not always enough. The main goal of the advertisement is to persuade potential first-time blood donors to donate blood. The claim of the image is claim of policy, where it says that people should donate blood because it will help reduce the deficiency of blood supply and it will also benefit them as a human being to help others. The ad wants to achieve this by showing a direct physical connection between the blood donation and the blood recipient’s life in the image. The blood bag has two phrases connected to each other because their meanings are connected. The phrase below says “First-time.” It is upside-down probably because this is how first time blood donors feel, like donating blood makes them feel scared and nauseous, as if they are upside-down themselves. However, the top says “Second-chance.” It means that what may be scary is not more important than giving another person a second chance to life. It also asks the audience to be brave because donating blood gives others a second chance to live. In addition, by putting both phrases on the blood bag itself, it connects the blood donation directly to saving people. What is “first-time” to a donor is a critical “second chance” to recipients. The ad is saying that, in saving people, there is already a feel-good benefit in it because of the aspect of saving lives. Moreover, the ad also says below: “It’s easier to give when you look at it from both sides. Change two lives. Give blood” (American Red Cross). The ad wants to make people feel that blood donation has a great advantage because it is a life-saving gift that benefits both sides. The donor benefits by feeling happy in helping others, while recipients benefit because their lives are extended. The ad wants to move the audience into blood-donating action, so that they would feel the life-changing benefits of blood donation. Apart from claims of policy, the ad also has claims of value by using standards of evaluation based on human rights. The American Red Cross has credible authority because it helps people in emergency situations. This is why it adds its name below the poster because it is credible in asking for blood donations. As a voluntary organization involved in different and numerous emergency situations, it fully knows that blood supply is needed by many people and enough of it can extend lives. However, it is also aware that not all people have donated blood ever in their lives, and if only they will do it the first time, they will be motivated to do it regularly. To encourage first timers, the American Red Cross reminds people that the most important right of all is the right to life. The blood bag represents life, which blood donation sustains. By connecting “first-time” to “second-chance,” the ad highlights that, if donors have a right to life, recipients have a right to life too. If they donate blood, they can help blood recipients preserve their right to life. Another example is the long line from the blood bag that extends to the bottom of the advertisement. This line signifies reality, as if someone is truly waiting for the blood donation. The long blood bag lines makes the ad real and the urgency of the need for blood real too. It shows that people should donate blood as soon as possible to save lives now, thereby connecting donors and recipients to their great obligation to one another, of helping one another as human beings. To give blood is to help others access their right to life, a right that is basic to all humans. The next element of the rhetorical situation is the audience, which is composed of those who have not yet donated blood. As for the audience, they are composed of people who are old and healthy enough to donate blood. They have not yet donated blood because of many reasons, such as lack of time, fear of needles (or even hospitals), indifference to others, and not seeing any practical or meaningful reason for giving time to donate blood, among other possible reasons. However, through the right emotional or value triggers, they might be motivated to donate blood. The ad wants to produce an emotional impact that reduces the fear of needles and increases the desire for helping others. The ad is effective in asserting its claims of policy and value because it successfully shows that first-timers may still have their fears, but what is more important is the gift of changing two lives. The ad is successful in showing that people have to act in order to gain the benefits of blood donation. It does this by connecting two phrases, “first time” and “second chance,” which argues that blood donation has benefits for both recipients and donors. For donors, it can be as simple as resolving the fear of needles, or feeling human connection, while, for recipients, the greatest benefit is having the second chance to live. “Second chance” is such a powerful emotional phrase because it asserts the right to life. Every person who values his/her life wants to live and to survive accidents and other disasters. Blood donors only have to break their fear or give time to blood donation and they can save many people. Thus, the claim of policy is effective in showing benefits for both parties. In addition, the ad is successful in claims of value because the right to life is something that many people can relate to. The right to life is made real by the fact that blood donation has a direct impact on life itself. The blood bag with “second life” helps bridge the connection between donation and saving lives. The realistic looking image of the blood bag with a long blood line also increases the meaning and urgency of the advertisement. It helps the ad reach its purpose of showing the audience that the need for blood donation is so real that they can almost donate blood to the poster as if it were a real person. The ad knows how to connect to innermost ideals and emotions that can drive blood donation. Blood donation is not an easy process or decision for many first timers, but the ad inspires them to do so by using claims of policy and values. The claims of policy highlight the need for blood donation and its various benefits, while the claims of values underscore the right to life. With these claims, the ad successfully sends a strong message that persuades first timers. It is a call to all first timers to donate blood now, so that they can end their fears, save lives, and feel a deeper connection with their humanity and with other fellow human beings. The blood bag is a symbol with clear intentions- to highlight the urgency of blood donation and the meaningfulness of giving blood to people who need them the most for they are also people like the audience who want to survive and live. Figure 1: Blood Donation Advertisement: First-Time, Second-Chance Source: American Red Cross’ advertisement in Google Images Works Cited “Figure 1: Blood Donation Advertisement: First-Time, Second-Chance.” Google Images. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. McGaan, Lee. “The Rhetorical Situation.” Persuasion 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. Read More