Revision: Wateraid 2

 How does the Wateraid advert appeal to different audiences? (12)

Kneejerk - The Claudia advert presents a positive and uplifting mode of address that positions the audience with Claudia's community 

DAC - 

Audience refers to the consumers of a media product. In this essay I shall argue that the Claudia advert presents a positive and uplifting ideology to its target audiences in order to help them engage with this serious issue. Wateraid is a UK registered charity that provides drinking water to developing countries. 

The advert focuses on positive outcomes and the effects of clean running water. This is encoded through the mise en scene of the fresh, pouring water. This is further reinforced through the use of highkey natural lighting, The bright, soft, golden lighting functions as a proairetic code, suggesting the future is bright and there is a clear and happy ending to this narrative.  

The Wateraid advert presents a clear and easy to understand narrative to its target audience. There is a clea three act structure and a clear problem that must be solved. In this case, the disequilibrium of this narrative is a lack of water. However, this is quickly solved by the hero of this narrative. In this case, it is the audience themselves. The audience is positioned in a way in which they are gently obliged to give money. This is accomplished by through the use of direct mode of address, which features in on screen graphics at the end of the advert: 'Text 'SUNNY' to help a person like Claudia'.

Charity adverts often target working class and older audiences. Charity adverts are often scheduled in daytime television which appeals to these audiences. These audiences are specifically targeted through the character of Claudia. The name Claudia is more relatable to English audiences, and Claudia herself is hardworking and an upstanding member of society. Teenage girls are often stereotyped as grumpy and violent in UK media products, but Claudia subverts this stereotype. Finally, Claudia is singing a 90s pop song in clear English, which will appeal to older, working class British audiences 

Africa is represented in a subversive and non stereotypical way. There is a big focus on togetherness and community which is encoded through the use of other actors arranged in groups and positioned and framed in long shots and mid shots. The cinematography emphasises exactly how many people are having their lives changed by the addition of water. This is further reinforced through the inclusion of an uplifting pop song, which is further anchored through the bright, cheery, saturated colour choices. Throughout the advert, the colours of 'Africa' become more and more intense, which symbolises positivity and the fact that Wateraid and the audience are making things better. 

In addition to the stereotypical target audience of charity adverts, the Claudia advert may also appeal to more diverse audiences, for example middle class black audiences. By including positive representations of black characters, the advert constructs a challenging and atypical representation of Africa

Younger audiences: Younger character of Claudia. Younger audiences are valuable for their disposable income 


How do audience responses to the Wateraid advert demonstrate sociohistorical circumstances?

Sociohistorical circumstances refer to the social issues of our time, and how they have changed over time. The reasons for people donating money have changed, and due to desensitisation, audiences have completely changed their ideologies and attitudes. However, despite presenting a more outwardly positive message, the Claudia advert still uses stereotypical representations in order to made the ideology of the advert easier for the target audience to decode. 

The Claudia advert is set in Zambia, however this information is never shared with the audience. This is because the concept of Africa as a poor 'country' provides an easy to understand stereotype for the target audience and allows audiences to be able to categorise this in their head. Zambia's capital city is a developed and industrial area, yet this does not conform to the stereotype, and therefore the Claudia advert is set in a stereotypical rural 'African' settings. 

The advert is set in a hot and dusty and highly stereotypical setting, which is highly conventional of many audiences expectations of 'Africa'. This is a highly hyperreal representation, which captures the imagination of the target audience and imagines 'Africa' as a lush, escapist paradise. 

Futhermore, this can be seen as a clear example of cultivation of ideology. Because this stereotypical representation has been repeated so often, it now functions as a hyperreal expectation for audience members, and makes the ideology of this advert clear and easy to decode. 

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An issue of using stereotypes is that they are condescending and even potentially harmful to audiences, This would be a classic example of an oppositional reading, where the audience disagrees with the ideology of the product and the producer. In this case, the dominant ideological, hegemonic perspective of 'Africa' could be rejected by the target audience, who may see it as being reductive and stereotypical. 

*Mise en scene of flimsy shoes and bare feet
blue bucket of water 
patterned cloths : traditional 'african' costume