Represent NHS Blood & Transplant campaign: blog tasks

 1) What is an advertising campaign? organized, planned efforts to promote and sell a product or service through various media channels like television, radio, print, online, and outdoor advertising

2) What is the objective of the NHS Represent campaign? Increase knowledge about living and deceased organ donation amongst people of Black and Asian heritage.

3) What does this advert want people to do once they've seen it (the 'call to action')? 
a marketing term that refers to the next step or the action that the marketer wants the consumer to take. Calls to action can be as direct, such as a button that says "Buy Now," or a softer CTA such as "Read More."
4) Why is the advert called 'Represent'?  because that is what the celebrities are doing, they are representing what people of the BAME community should be doing - donating blood.
5) Why have the producers chosen celebrities to feature in the advert? Give an example of three well-known people who appear in the advert and why they are famous - make sure you write their names and spell them accurately.
Emma Watson – Famous for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson is known for her activism in women's rights and gender equality, making her a recognizable and respected figure. Brands often use her to target socially conscious audiences.
6) What are the connotations of the slow-paced long shot of empty chairs at the end of the advert? Absence and Loss: The empty chairs suggest that someone is missing. This is a poignant image, especially in relation to blood donation, where the "absence" might refer to the people who are waiting for blood donations or those who are lost because of a lack of life-saving resources.

7) How does the advert match the key conventions of a typical urban music video?

Visual Style: Urban music videos frequently use striking, impactful imagery, often shot in a gritty or realistic setting. The NHS advert might use similar cinematography, such as stark, minimalist shots or slow motion, to evoke emotion and heighten the impact of the message, which mirrors the visual style often seen in music videos

8) How does the advert subvert stereotypes? Give three examples (e.g. ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, age, class, disability/ability etc.) 

Ethnicity: Many advertisements often feature individuals from certain ethnic backgrounds in specific roles or settings (e.g., African-Americans in music-related contexts or Asian individuals in tech-related ads). In contrast, the NHS Blood & Transplant advert likely subverts these ethnic stereotypes by featuring people from various backgrounds coming together for a common cause—blood donation. This diverse representation breaks away from the typical pigeonholing of ethnic groups into specific roles and highlights the shared responsibility of everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, in saving lives.

9) How does the advert reinforce certain stereotypes? Could there be an oppositional reading where some audiences would find this advert offensive or reinforcing negative stereotypes?

Middle-Class and Affluent Representation: Advertisements often show a more idealized, middle-class version of society, which could be the case in this NHS ad. If the ad predominantly features individuals who are well-dressed, well-groomed, or appear to live in suburban or affluent areas, it might inadvertently reinforce the stereotype that blood donation is an activity primarily for those in middle or upper social classes, excluding working-class individuals from the narrative. This could create a sense of division between social classes, particularly if working-class people are underrepresented in the ad.
10) Choose one key moment from the advert and write an analysis of the connotations of camera shots and mise-en-scene (CLAMPS).Over-simplification of Roles: Audiences might take issue with the stereotypical roles given to people in the ad (e.g., women as caretakers or men as stoic donors), feeling that these roles are outdated or limiting. They might argue that such portrayals don’t reflect the diversity of ways in which men and women contribute to society or respond to social causes.