Medium and Message.The Atheist Bus Campaign.

The Atheist Bus Campaign backed by the British Humanist Association (BHA) was the brainchild of the comedian Ariene Sherine. The campaign was started as a counter-campaign against various campaigning by religious groups in Britain who said non-believers would, 'burn in hell.' Other similar campaigns by atheist groups were seen in Washington last November. A fundraising drive by the BHA, which raised more than £140,000, was used to produce adverts on over 600 buses across London. Adverts were also seen on the underground as well as LCD screens across the capital.Despite over 300 complaints, the campaign is set to be used nationwide.

'There is probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy yourself.'

Religion has always been a bone of contention, as well as a subject that causes much discussion. For anyone with religious beliefs this campaign would be a huge area of controversy. The wording however has been carefully chosen so as not to go against advertising codes of practise. At the same time the use of language has successfully got the campaigning messages across to the public.

Members of the BHA respect the fact that, although they may not believe in a God, no one can prove that God doesn't exist, anymore than it can proven that God does exist. The message is still lighthearted which is in opposition to many religious beliefs which are very black and white in representation. Regardless of advertising codes of conduct, the word 'probably', as opposed to definitely, leaves room for discussion. There is also a positive message in 'stop worrying,' it suggests we may never know the truth about religion so stop worrying about it and enjoy life as it comes.

The choice of where the advertising has been placed is interesting. Using public transport as an advertising platform is obviously a way for the messages to be seen, but also interacts with people as they go about their everyday business. The adverts don't appear to have been produced to change peoples views, just that its okay not to be religious or have faith in God. After all, the campaign was purely in response to some rather condemning messages from religious groups.

The advertising uses bright and fresh colours which work well with the belief in freedom of speak and freewill that the British Humanist Association campaign for. The lighthearted tone of the message is carried through with the choice of colours. The colours are also what could be considered to be 'floral' in tone possibly to back up the BHA`s believe in growth and living.

Although the campaign is obviously promoting the BHA's stance on religion, the messages are very much pro-atheist, rather than anti-religious. This is in stark contrast to the beliefs of some 'all-or-nothing,' religious groups. The message itself, and the format it appears in, is a signal of the times we live in.According to the BHA`s website; nearly 40% of British people do have any kind of religious views. The BHA campaign for the rights of people to live in a democratic, equal world, with mutual respect regardless of religion, colour or background. This campaign for them, is a way to get this message across.

Medium and Message Effective Advertising Campaigns

Infographics Advertising Sony Walkman.

This advertising campaign by Sony was unleashed last Autumn. On first glance I thought it looked like the kind of advertising concept that Apple would execute. The advert was created by Saatchi & Saatchi and shows the New York, London and Sydney Underground maps perfectly replicated with the lines and stations being replaced by Sony headphones.

Mapping of the New York subway in this way dates back to the 1900s. The same principle was adopted by Harry Beck in 1933 for the London Underground system and although has obviously been updated and modified, the principle has stayed virtually the same to this day. It is in fact because of its history and usefulness in practise that these maps have become iconic in Underground mapping and are recognised world-wide.

I feel the advertising by Sony is a clever example of a new wave of visual advertising called Infographics. Infographics is where advertising material can also become a useful tool for consumers. This kind of advertising may well signify that it is no longer acceptable to advertise goods by just using conventional communication methods about the product in question.

Choosing to associate the product with such widely used public transport systems was a clever concept. Travelling to and from work for example, is a time many will listen to music. In recent years the ipod has, more often than not, dominated this arena. For Sony to gain association with the concept of travel is a way for them to give credence to their product's quality and style.

Audiences are bombarded with advertising everyday. I believe that there is an increasing attractiveness in clever creative, outside the box thinking, particularly for consumer goods. Attention grabbing imagery does not always have to come in the form of shocking or horrific images. Sometimes attention can be produced with the simple but clever use of imagery. I feel the Sony Walkman advert have achieved this with this particular campaign.

Medium and Message Persuasive Communication

President Barack Obama`s First Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOV5WjT8Dig

According to Aristotle there are three main elements contained in the structure of an argument. These are;

Ethos meaning the credibility of the speaker.

Logos the logical elements of how the argument is structured.

Pathos the way the argument appeals to the emotions.

I will consider these three elements and assess how they have been used by Barack Obama in his speeches as successful persuasive communication.

Ethos

Obama`s confidence is very apparent. This is obviously expected when it comes to someone in governmental power, but even then some people are better speakers than others. Obama allows his personality and his humility to shine through when he speaks. He shows his audience that he is like everyone else and in turn appeals to, if you like, the common man. His confidence shows though his body language this adds to the credibility he holds as a powerful leader. His steady voice has poetic qualities and he is purposeful in his choice of language. This makes him appear to really believe in the messages he is delivering, instead of just something written for him. He is confident enough in his beliefs to talk about religion and place it in the world of politics. Obama's plea for change is backed up by him being the the first black president. Obama has always used this fact to his advantage to appeal to a wider more diverse audience.

Logos

His credibility as a speaker is backed up by his focused argument. Obama has always had one clear message,that is, to build a better America for all. He makes reference to the past history of American society and how to bring the greatness of it into the future. Most of Obama`s speeches are based more on emotion and inclusion rather than using research studies and methodology, because of this Aristotle`s final element is of most importance to Obama and his appeal as American elect.

Pathos

Obama`s main strength when it comes to persuasive speaking is his ability to appeal to the emotions of his audience. The language he uses is inclusive both from his choice of language which appeals to the masses as well as his use of inclusive terminology; Black/White, Gay/Straight, Rich/Poor and Young/Old. He emotionally appeals to people by taking himself off the presidency pedestal and bringing himself to the level of the people he represents. His speeches contain the message of hope. Giving hope to the people so that all things become possible. His speeches rely heavily on his use of the word united playing with the idea that with inclusive behaviour changes can occur, post 9/11 this is what America ,and the world is looking for.

Medium and Message Visual Communication

Barnardo`s Beat Poverty Campaign

Charities often have a limited budget when it comes to producing campaign material. They do however want their campaigns to be seen by as many people as possible. Larger charities will often use visual material such as television advertising. More often than not visual campaigns are often seen in the form of billboard posters and leaflets to get messages across to the public.

Banned in November 2002 after a number of complaints, the Beat Poverty Campaign shows four newborn babies with a cockroach, a bottle of Methylated Spirit, a syringe and a spoon in their mouths. The images are a play on the phrase, "born with a silver spoon in your mouth." I feel this campaign is a good example of non-verbal communication to reach mass audiences.

The benefits of using images over words is shown perfectly in this campaign. To convey the meaning of poverty in text would be very difficult, to produce a visual representation in this way is much more memorable. Powerful imagery which plays on the emotions of its audience is an important factor for any advertisement, but particularly for charities who are often trying to change opinion or behaviour.

The use of graphic shock tactics is apparent when the poster is seen for the first time. Anything involving children is immediately emotive but the fact it uses newborn babies seems to make it even more shocking.

Although the pictures are very shocking, the main reason for the ban on its use was due to a perceived unsuitability of the material. Many of those who complained said the images were misleading as a representation of poverty and that there were worrying connotations which came with the choice of images.

If images are used in replace of words then considerations need to be taken into what messages and meanings will be taken from the images. Does a child with a cockroach crawling from its mouth equal being in poverty? Do all children who are from poor backgrounds have parents who do drugs? Clearly the answer here is no, but care needs to be taken to prevent the images suggesting this.

This campaign is a great example of how important it is to use imagery which conveys a message to an audience correctly, without in fact muddying the way the message is interpreted by a sometimes sensitive, emotionally driven audience.

Medium and Message Viral potential in advertising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exkfGhz-YsU

Hidden cameras are placed at Liverpool Street Station where professional dancers posing as rail commuters, start dancing to music which is pumping from the station speakers.

The advert which is for T mobile tags the phrase, "life`s for sharing."

I think this advert works so well because firstly, it is creative. It is an advert which is disguised as a piece of film and something that will be, and has been, posted hundreds of times over on websites such as YouTube. Any advert which is either funny,shocking, or appeals to human emotion is instantly accepted on such sites. It is for this reason that in today's society such adverts are successful as viral levels of communication.

It is also successful because it's a mixture of planted actors with ordinary people in a familiar place that is recognisable to many. It also ties in well with the fly on the wall documentary style programing which is increasingly popular.

Because of its YouTube style nature, it maybe more successful as a viral PR campaign which has potential to gain vast media coverage, rather than as a conventional advert. Although I really like the advert and it appeals to me, I would have to think carefully about which mobile phone company is being advertised. Unlike the Cadburys Dairy Milk ads which is instantly recognisable.

Medium and Message Advertising Effectiveness

Glass Half Full Productions

With the amount of advertising that consumers are bombarded with daily, getting messages across is becoming increasingly more difficult and the need for creativity is becoming more apparent. Messages need to be `encoded` in a suitable format to reach audiences in the most effective way possible, while at the same time avoiding barriers or `noise` from similar adverts and messages being produced at the same time.

Advertising agent Fallon have come up with an ingenious way of adverting Cadburys Dairy Milk by giving us The Half Glass Full Productions.

The first wave of its quirky adverts came back in 2007 with the drumming gorilla preparing for his big solo to the Phil Collins classic, In The Air Tonight. On the surface, an advert like this should not work, the message is inconsistent to what the product actually is, i.e drumming gorillas are in no way connected to chocolate. Not once was chocolate mentioned and not once did the advert promote chocolate by showing people enjoying eating it. Cadburys is so well known however, that realistically, it does not need to be promoted in the conventional sense.

What the advert did do, much to the distaste from some more conventional advertisers,was create talkability for the product. In its own right the drumming gorilla became a phenomenon. It was by no accident that the gorilla advert became a viral sensation, seen many times over on YouTube, either in its original form, or as a parody mocked up by wannabe movie-makers. This didn't matter because in whatever form it was produced, it was reaching new audiences and being talked about everywhere.

The short film took advertising to a new level. It shows the success that is possible by sending messages totally unrelated to the product to an audience, who, without verbal, visual and very little written association, without thinking, associate that intense gorilla on its drum-set with Cadburys Dairy Milk chocolate.

Medium and Message Press release from survey monkey results

For immediate release

STRANGLE STRESS FOR THE WEEK
Research has been published by the UK health charity, Get Fit Keep Fit to mark the start of their Strangle Stress campaign. The event is being run along-side medical students from the Eastbridge Hospital. The campaign hopes to inform people about the dangers of stress-related illnesses.

The survey, which was conducted among a selection of adults in the Eastbridge area, suggests that recent money worries during the economic downturn, could mean serious implications for our long-term health.

A staggering 61% of people believe that current money worries are making them more stressed. A further 22% said they were regularly comfort eating to relieve worries, and an alarming 22% said they were smoking and drinking more because of the worries they had over money and job security.

Rachel Young, Communications Manager for the Get Fit Keep Fit charity said, “Our research findings are alarming, 33% of the people surveyed say they are losing sleep over money worries, add to this poor diet, working longer hours leading to lack of exercise, and this will all have serious knock on effects to the quality of our health.”

The survey suggests that a balanced diet of healthy food choices is being replaced by cut-backs on the types of food we buy. A staggering 81% of people believing cutting back on staple food shopping is a good way to save money.

Although 72% of people have said that such cut-backs would include luxury items, 25% of people considered the price of fresh fruit and vegetables in supermarkets to be too high when making conscious decisions to save money.

44% of people would look at the price of an item above quality or healthier options, and 60% of people strongly believe that supermarkets are encouraging unhealthy eating by offering special offers on the wrong items. Of the people surveyed 8% said that longer working hours meant less time for home cooking and supermarket ready-meal options were the most convenient for them.

Dr Peter Davis of the Royal Eastbridge hospital said, “Most people are virtually unaware of the fat and salt levels contained in supermarket ready-meals. Around 16million adults in the UK are currently suffering from high blood pressure and heart related diseases, many of which are caused by stress and poor diet. Most cases are in fact preventable or treatable but the biggest killer in the UK is heart attacks and strokes because so often the triggers are not dealt with in time.



**END**


Notes to editor
The Strangle Stress week will run from the 23rd February to the 1st March.
Varies information and free stress testing will be available from staff at the Eastbridge hospital.
For further information call Ellie May of Fresh Communications on 01206 817434.

Medium and Message Surveymonkey survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mELYExCSQB9gpJJlCJK8Zw_3d_3d
This survey was set up on behalf of a fictitious health charity Get Fit Keep Fit to mark the start of their new campaign, Strangle Stress. The survey was sent out to local doctors surgeries and health centres to get patients and people in the local community to fill them in. The findings will then be published in the form of a press release in the local media to draw attention to the up and coming event. The event will offer health and advice to people who are suffering from stress,free stress testing by students from the local hospital will also be on offer.

Could the credit crunch be effecting our long-term health?

1.Are you?
Male 52.6%
Female
47.4%
2. What is your age
Under 18 0.0%
18-30 77.8%
31-45 16.7%
46-65 5.6%
65+ 0.0%

3. What is your salary bracket per year?
£10,000 or under 61.1%
£11,000-£25,99 27.8%
£26,000-£40,999 11.1%
£41,000+ 0.0%

4. Would you say your expendable income is less than it was this time last year?
Yes 44.4%
No 50.0%
Not sure 5.6%

5. Do money worries make you:
Comfort eat 22.2%
Eat less 11.1%
Smoke more 11.1%
Drink more 11.1%
Lose sleep 33.3%
Get stressed easier 61.1%

6.Would you consider spending less on food shopping a suitable way to save money?
Yes 88.9%
No 5.6%
Not sure5.6%

7.If yes, how would you consider cutting-back?
Change supermarket choice 11.1%
Cut back on luxury items 72.2%
Buy cheaper or shops own label brands 61.1%
Eat out less in restaurants/ takeaways 44.4%

8.When thinking about food which is the most important to you?
Price 44.4%
Quality 38.9%
Healthy choices 16.7%

9. When considering the following statements how strongly do you agree or disagree?
I regularly eat home cooked meals.
Strongly agree 53.8%
Agree 23.1 %
Neither 15.4%
Disagree 0.0%
Strongly disagree 7.7%
NA 0.0%

My work hours dont allow me time to eat regular meals.
Strongly agree 0.0%
Agree 0.0%
Neither 16.7%
Disagree 33.3%
Strongly disagree33.3%
NA 16.7%

I believe I save money buy buying ready cook meals.
Strongly agree 0.0%
Agree 0.0%
Neither 8.3%
Disagree 41.7%
Strongly disagree41.7%
NA 8.3%

Ready meals are more convenient for my lifestyle.
Strongly agree0.0%
Agree 18.2%
Neither36.4%
Disagree 18.2%
Strongly disagree 18.2%
NA 9.1%

Supermarkets provide special offers on the wrong items.
Strongly agree 10.0%
Agree 60.0%
Neither 10.0%
Disagree 0.0%
Strongly disagree10.0%
NA 10.0%

I get confused on which items are better for my health.
Strongly agree 0.0%
Agree 16.7%
Neither 50.0%
Disagree 0.0%
Strongly disagree 16.7%
NA 16.7%

Vegetables are usually too expensive to buy regularly.
Strongly agree 12.5%
Agree 12.5%
Neither 12.5%
Disagree 25.0%
Strongly disagree 37.5%
NA 0.0%

Even money worries would not stop be eating five fruit and veg a day.
Strongly agree 21.4%
Agree 14.3%
Neither 14.3%
Disagree 21.4%
Strongly disagree 7.1%
NA 21.4%

Medium and Message Level two. Visual Communication. Logos

The Orange logo is immediately recognisable and works as a great visual representation of the company. The particular shade of orange is trademarked to Orange so is instantly associated with the company. Even without the word, orange, the logo is merely more than a square orange box, yet most people would instantly associate it with the mobile phone company. This is a sign of a great logo as its logged in peoples brains with very little effort.

Piz Buin specialises in sun protection and fake tan creams. The logo for their brand represents this in a simplistic way. It uses only its name as its logo, but the choice of colours are no accident. The varying shades of warm browns represent the stages of the tanning process. It also makes you think of chocolate and many of their tanning products have a chocolate scent to them, this cleverly introduces smell into the association equation. The font is very informal giving an association with holidays and relaxation. However it is a clean, unfussy design which also gives a sense of quality.


Instantly, the ‘tick,’ that is the Nike logo, gives the impression of something being right, this is due to the association humans have with the symbol meaning well done, passed or correct. This immediately gives the impression that Nike is the correct brand to buy. The rounded edges of the tick has movement, pace, speed and agility. This gives association to what the sport brand is recognised for. The action of speed is evoked in the logo in a way which could not be conveyed using words alone. The use of black and white gives the impression of professionalism. The simplicity of the logo is memorable at first glance.


The MacDonald’s 'golden arches' logo is effective through its use of bright colours associated with Ronald MacDonald, mascot to the fast-food giant. The logo is simplistic in style and design, and although has no direct association with what the company offers, is immediately recognisable worldwide as a global representation of the brand identity.



This colourful and playful logo would would not work as a representation for many companies other than Disney. However, for them it works perfectly to encompass what the true meaning of Disney is; childlike fun. It is also timeless, the Disney symbol is now 52 years old and has changed very little since it was first used. The above logo shows the one produced in colour but it is as often used in black and white. The loose, almost handwritten use of the Disney font is playful and child-like which sums up what the brand stands for. It is in fact the free style of the Disney logo that makes it distinguishable. It`s illustrative style ties in well with the animated Disney productions that the company was originally known for, long before the days of Disneyland.


Most logos work with primary colours as they are more easily identifiable. They also tend to be designed this way to compliment other brand material. That said, if chosen correctly logos which stand out in a striking way can sometimes be more effective in reaching audiences. However, sometimes that stance can go horribly wrong.

The 2012 Olympics logo loved by few, hated by many.

" We`ve had a huge reaction to the launch of the new logo-most of it negative."
Interactive Olympics editor Claire Stocks.

I feel the logo, which is suppose to attract young people, doesn't work on various levels. One, I pose the question, why would pink and yellow attract young people unless its being aimed at five year olds? There is no baring in the logo on what the Olympics are about. The five rings, which has for the past 100 years symbolized the Olympic games are completely lost in the new logo. The logo is not easy on the eye. I also don't feel it sums up the culture and history of the Olympic games, but more importantly the pride of the games being held in London.

A great logo needs to be easily recognisable and instantly memorable to be considered successful. Shut your eyes and try to draw the Starbucks logo and there aren`t many who will be able to achieve this, unless you had a hand in designing it. Its actually fairly intricate in design but unless I am not looking deep enough, bares little resemblance to what the company represents,that is, bitter coffee.