Water Aid advert

Water Aid advert -Sun shine on a rainy day


Context- The charity water aid was established in 2008 asa response to a UN compassion for clean water, sanitation and water hygiene education.

dominate ideology/ preferred response: audience feels sympathy and believe that all kids in Africa need water (audience is British) give money and donate  

oppositional response: reading through that ad and not believing in the stereo type presented (entire country shown as poor)) romanticised poverty. presented Africa as a single country when its contains lots of country's, songs in English not in home language  

Hermeneutic codes - Also known as enigma codes, these refer to something within the media product that creates mystery suspense.

Proairetic codes - Also known as action codes, this refers to something within a media product that suggests something is about to happen.

Symbolic codes- something within a media product that creates a deeper meaning for the audience.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Key text - The charity water-aid was established in 2081 as a response to a UN campaign for clean water, sanitation and water hygiene education. 

Sunshine on a rainy day - Close ups, happiness, in colour. 

Advert in pieces.

Start - Presumably, due to rain and accent of the radio,  Britain, a first world country. We take things for granted where we can walk less than a few meters to the nearest flowing water. However, outside it is raining, it creates misery in a stereotypically happy country. It is literally pouring from the sky water which a lot of Africans go without. Binary opposition between Britain and Africa, first world vs third world, rain vs sun.

Cut to a low angle shot of fields, then a pair of feet, wearing ankle shoes walking across a dry, stony pathway, in the beating sun.  Camera pans up for a second to see a bucket, maybe implying she's on a job. Cut to an extreme close-up of who the audience can presume is Claudia due to the title of the advert. It puts you with Claudia. This closeup shows the sun on her face and a few scars from a hard life. The original POV is a hermeneutic code so the audience figures out what is going on. 

Following and panning shot of Claudia, perhaps from the perspective of one of the women seen in a follow up shot. This is more of an establishing shot to gain comfort with the close ups, and to create ease instead of tension. The low angle shots could be a symbolic code that Claudia is powerful and proud instead of the regular perceptions of people in charity adverts being weak and in desperate need of help and/or attention. I believe this is done to show what donating can do, and to give donating a more positive outlook. It doesn't necessarily guilt trip the audience, but can still make the audience feel as if they need to give the money to the charity. 

The presentation of women in the advert is that they are hardworking. It goes against the stereotype that they should stay at home as a housewife.


Dominant reading: Sympathy for Africa, the audience should donate
Positional reading: don't donate, image of entire country in poverty. Stereotype black people are happy go lucky people, just need a bit of help, condescending toward blacks/africans. Presents Africa as a country, not a continent.

---