Social Action and Community Media

Social Action and Community Media

Existing Product Research

2

Case Study: (St Mungo’s)

Purpose: The purposes of this cause it to were awareness about homeless people locally, nationally and globally. Mostly local as local people are most likely to car more about people closer to them. Providing information may change the opinion on homelessness causing people to realise how much of an issue it actually is.Aims:They aim to help the homeless by creating relationships with them and rehoming them. Donations from the public will help for them to achieve this which is why they need to campaign and advertise.

Creative Media Production 2012

3

Techniques:

In the top image, the woman in the image used to be homeless but St Mungo’s has helped her get her own house (The building she is sat outside of). It is clear that she has completely changed for the better and her life is back on track. The contrast between the two images, the black and white one she is holding and the rest of the image, also represent the contrast between her life. Before it was black and white, quite depressing. Then she was helped and her life is a load better, brighter and colourful.

The bottom image is taken from the website. It is used as a banner across the top of the ‘our services’ page. The picture represents the happiness you can give someone simply by helping them recover their lives. Having the woman next to him talking, or even the cup of tea in his hand helps to show the kind of things they do for these people. Even the smallest of things mean so much.

Creative Media Production 2012

Case Study: (St Mungo’s)

4

Impact: St Mongo’s numbers:Housing - we provide accommodation for around 1,700 people in a mix of housing projects from emergency hostels to supported housing to semi-independent homes for people with complex needs. One innovative new project is The Lodge. Health - we supported thousands of clients last year with their mental health and substance use needs. Our LifeWorks A4 4pp April 2011 briefing explains about one ground-breaking psychotherapy service, while we've also highlighted the importance of improving hospital discharge procedures.Work - our Skills and Employment team support people in finding employment, training, further education volunteering and in taking up a range of other activities. http://www.mungos.org/news/facts_for_journalists

Governments statsitics:the most common action taken to prevent or relieve homelessness was the use of landlord incentive schemes to secure private rented sector accommodation; in 2012 to 2013, 26,200 cases (13%) were assisted in obtaining alternative accommodation this way, though this was a decrease of 5% compared to 2011 to 2012

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-and-relief-england-2012-to-2013

Creative Media Production 2012

Case Study: (St Mungo’s)

5

Case Study: (Cancer Research)

Purpose: It brings awareness to the fact that cancer is still around. We are finding so many cures for so many other diseases yet cancer is still a major problem. Pointing this out could create relationships with subjects as a lot of people are effected by cancer on know the fear it brings. Aims:Their aim is to raise money for research. Research that helps to find a cure for cancer.

Creative Media Production 2012

6

Techniques:

The simplicity of the advert portrays how simple it is to donate to the cause. Donations means research and research means a cure. It’s as simple as that and the campaign helps to show this. The big, bold copy helps it stand out. It draws in attention which is essential when campaigning. The words they have chosen create a statement that really makes the public think. It gives a fighter attitude and helps make you think cancer can be beat. After the statement has caught your eye they go on and tell you that one day cancer will be a thing of the past but they need your help to make that day come.

Most people have affected by cancer one way or the other so using ‘All of us V Cancer’ on the poster, bottom right, involves the person reading it. It makes relations making it more likely for people to donate.

Creative Media Production 2012

Case Study: (Cancer Research)

7

Impact: Although cancer research wasn’t formed until 2002, the two companies who have merged together have been trying to find a cure since 1902. Over 100 years later and still no cure found but rates of deaths have gone down considerably.

Cancer rates from 1902 to 1959Thanks to improved public health and vaccination - discounting the devastating impact of two World Wars - life expectancy rose through the first half of the 20th century. Because the risk of cancer increases with age, cancer rates also rose.Due to a lack of refrigeration and poor living conditions, stomach cancer was relatively common and claimed many lives. Since the 1950s, death rates have fallen consistently from around 45 deaths in every 100,000 men in 1950 to around 9 today, while rates in women have fallen from 25 to only 4 in every 100,000.

2000-PresentToday more than 300,000 people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. The overall cancer death rate continues to fall but cancer still causes one in four deaths every year. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerandresearch/progress/

Creative Media Production 2012

Case Study: (Cancer Research)

8

Case Study: (FckH8)

Purpose: Fck8 wants to bring global change. To achieve this it also needs to change attitudes, raise awareness, challenge dominant representations and agendas. Having these campaigns can create or strengthen community ties and build relationships with subjects. Aims:Their aim is to legalize love. They want to get rid of all homophobia so everyone is accepted.

Creative Media Production 2012

9

Techniques:Since other gay right campaigns haven’t been very effective FckH8 was decided to use the shock factor to get noticed. They use a lot of swear words. In some of their videos they have small children swear too which catches the attention of a lot of people. However, they have gotten a lot of negative comments about the matter. People who support the campaign understand that they use this for effect and defend them. The controversy is helping them get into the mainstream which is exactly what they want.

The bright colours reflect the campness of the campaign. They have made it camp to take the mick out of peoples assumptions of homosexual community.

Creative Media Production 2012

Case Study: (FckH8)

The use of text language (H8) targets youth. They are more open to support the movement. It also makes the campaign different and more quirky. However, this excludes the older generation, which are the people who need to have their minds changed. They use homosexual, transgender and straight people on their videos to help it apply to more people. It also shows that you don’t have to be gay to support the cause. At first they used a lot of youtubers in their videos, both gay and straight, the growth of youtube has helped them. Youtube is mostly watched by younger people, ie teenagers, which appears to be their target auidence.The use of youtubers has led to celebrities being a part of the campaign, like Jamie Lynch from glee. Celebrities are a good way to get on the telly or into the mainstream. Patti Stanger is a TV personality, The Millionaire Matchmaker, and on her show they follow her to a photoshoot for FckH8 which was good advertisement for the campaign.

Case Study: (FckH8)

11

Impact:FckH8 hasn’t been round for a while but there is no doubt that they helped to legalize same sex marriage and convert many countries into supporting gays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory

Case Study: (FckH8)

12

The three I have looked at are very different. Cancer research is a well known organisation, this means simply putting it’s logo or colour scheme on a poster would let the public know it was for their charity. FckH8 has to clearly state who they are while St Mungo’s seems to stick it in the corner of the poster. One thing that makes FckH8 different is that most of their campaigning is via videos. This is again because youtube is very big at the moment and they get a lot of views due to this. Cancer Research uses events to get most of its custom. Events like walks and runs, most famously The Race For Life. These type of events need good advertisement or they won’t work. They use the website to do this but they also use it to get most of their donations. At the top of the page is a donate button which is rather large and eye catching. St Mungo’s donations page is the only link with a green box around it which makes it stand out. FckH8.com is basically a shop so there is no donate button, you buy products and profits go to helping out protests or campaigning more. All three have social networking links, however St Mungo’s is the only one who has put them at the bottom of the page. I think this is the best way as the reader can read the information first, search the site and then click on the links. Although the social networking sites will have information on them too the site is a better place to have the public as they can then donate easier. Each poster is simple. All three are very minimalistic and get straight to the point. You don’t want to fill the advert with nothing to do with the cause or it will confuse the public. The same with beating around the bush, your audience won’t know what you want them to do and they will ignore the poster.

Creative Media Production 2012

Comparison

13

Case Study: (NSPCC vs. Barnardos)

Both charities aim to do the same thing, help children who need it. However, their campaigns are very different. NSPCC seem to care more about people knowing that it is their advert first before people get real chance to realise what it is for. The picture of the rabbit is the first thing to catch your eye. The reader then wants to know what the picture is about so their eyes travel to the top left. Seeing NSPCC and their slogan do allow for the public to know it is about child abuse as they are a well known charity but the statement that makes people think should be at the top of the page. Get the audience thinking straight away. Barnardos is set out perfectly. The image is the eye catcher, the eye then goes to the statement, down to the plea and then to the organisation.

Creative Media Production 2012

The use of images on both campaigns are a good choice. They both clearly relate to children. NSPCC’s use of a stuffed teddy deducts points away from the shock factor that is needed on this subject. Most people don’t realise how bad child abuse can get. However, the use of an actual child would have been traumatic. The statement that goes along with the image is what gets the audience thinking. ‘Real children can’t be fixed.’ Suddenly the public are picturing the bunny as a child. This distresses them. Knowing that children are actually treated this way persuades people to donate and help them out. Barnardos use the sympathy technique too. The small child in the poster is something for the public to relate to, not in the sense that they were abused too but they sympathise for the child. The statements make you feel even more sorry for him, ‘please don’t turn away from me’, it also guilt trips you. If you see the ad and don’t donate then it is like you are turning away from the boy. The statement is meant to be a quote from you, he is begging you not to ignore him which makes you want to donate.

Overall both posters are effective. The darkness in NSPCC’s portray the type of situation while Barnardos tries to focus on making the poster more realistic in a street setting. Neither of them use the shock factor as that can be risky and backfire.