Tim Close
Ad Deconstruction
This advertisment appeared on the back cover of the "Time" magazine 2008 year in review edition.This full page is a joint ad between the American Red Cross and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) medical supplies. The ad is intended for readers of Time Magazine, most likely adults in a non-profit medical profession who wish to purchase BD medical supplies. The detail that suggests this is the statement describing how the "syringes made by BD have delivered more measles vaccines than any other company's" and "BD SoloShot syringes are ideal to deliver the measles vaccine because they automatically disable after injection, which prevents reuse and potential spread of infectious diseases."
It gets our attention with the picture of the girl and the baby she is "wearing". We are accustomed to seeing pictures of starving children in Africa and I think that desensitizes us. The fact that this girl is smiling and healthy makes us believe that BD and the Red Cross have made her life better. The ad also describes how there has been a life saving vaccine for measles since the 1960's yet it is still a leading cause of vaccine preventable deaths in the world.
The story that this ad tells is still one of pain and sadness. The girl is taking care of a baby girl, probably her sister, indicating that their parents are deceased or missing. They are covered in dust, indicating that they have lived in poorer conditions before arriving at the safety of the Red Cross. There are other children as well as adults in the background, which is further proof that they are now being completely taken care of.
The story that this ad tells is still one of pain and sadness. The girl is taking care of a baby girl, probably her sister, indicating that their parents are deceased or missing. They are covered in dust, indicating that they have lived in poorer conditions before arriving at the safety of the Red Cross. There are other children as well as adults in the background, which is further proof that they are now being completely taken care of.
There is an appeal to emotion by using a picture of two innocent children. If we were shown a picture of a happy family we wouldn't feel any reason to try and help the situation. Because the children are alone, people might feel a desire to nurture the children in any way they can. The ad associates the product with life and hope. The advertisers are trying to get you to believe that if you use their product, you can give the gift of life to someone in need too. The overall message of the ad is that you can make a difference in the world by supporting either of these two organizations, either with a small donation or by going overseas to volunteer for them.
This ad doesn't really try to use and clever language or phrases to trick you into buying its product. The logo for BD is a person with open arms, symbolizing that they are dedicated to all human needs. It sends a simple message that children are in need and so many lives can be saved with a simple precautionary immunization. The captions provide relevant information about what is causing meaningless suffering in the world so that the reader knows where to go if they want to help.
This ad doesn't really try to use and clever language or phrases to trick you into buying its product. The logo for BD is a person with open arms, symbolizing that they are dedicated to all human needs. It sends a simple message that children are in need and so many lives can be saved with a simple precautionary immunization. The captions provide relevant information about what is causing meaningless suffering in the world so that the reader knows where to go if they want to help.
The camera angle is a close up, just above the little girl, highlighting her need for protection and care, but also illustrating her perseverance and chances for a bright future. An unintended effect of the ad is that it could cause people to feel angry about the fact that large medical companies are profiting from the urgent need for medical care in third world countries. People could also feel that the ad is too optimistic, considering the amount of people still dying from the disease.
I think the ad is quite effective because it is different from most of its kind. I feel that the companies involved do have a sincere desire to help the needy and they are just trying to get the message out. The ad isn't particularly shocking, so perhaps they should try to make the situation seem a little more urgent. There is a fine line that you have to walk when portraying these types of situations and I'm not sure what I would do if I were in the advertiser's place.
