Media Studies - Shelter Adverts.

What shot type and camera angles do the shelter adverts use?

Close up shot of the face to evoke emotion and sympathy from the audience, and an eye level shot to further evoke sympathy by showing you that ‘they’re on the same level as you’. Also, the shot type connotes mug shots.

What font and anchorage text is used?

* Bold font, as if someone is shouting which suggests urgency and importance.
* Red font further connotes urgency or possibly blood.
* The anchorage uses imperative verbs to suggest force and urgency.

What is the USP of the advert?

The USP is that there is no celebrity endorsement, which suggests it could be anyone in this situation - it isn’t an aspirational figure and is more focused on emotion then endorsement.

How is representation used in the advert?

* Age: there is a range of ages to target and challenge the stereotype that all homeless people are older.
* Gender: Again, there are women to challenge the stereotype that all homeless people are men.
* Race: Due to the harsh lighting we cannot truly see skin colour (maybe the point?) but we know that none of the actors are White-British.

Who is the target audience of the Shelter advert campaign?

These adverts have a dual target audience - to both those who have housing struggles and need help, but also to those who have a disposable income who can afford to donate to charity.

How is the Shelter logo representative of the charity?

The ‘h’ in shelter is shaped like a house, showing everyone almost immediately what their charity is focused around.

How does each panel reach a different demographic?

Panel 1 shows a negotiated reading of a parent, through the ‘we’.

Panel 2 shows a possible political representation and represents unaffordable housing.

Panel 3 focuses on debt.

All panels challenge stereotypical views on homeless people.

What is the context behind creating the Shelter advert?

Shelter are a UK based housing and homelessness charity, with the adverts targetting liberal reformers, and the focus of the campaign was to direct possible charity users and donators. They had limited resources so these adverts only ran for 6 weeks, and Amplify (a creative communication ad agency) sequenced the campaign pro-bono. Shelter wanted the campaign to identify with ordinary people. The poster was a tryptic campaign (3 posters).

What were the pol/soc/econ contexts of the advert?

The affects were being felt by the 2008 banking crisis, and May 2010 saw a conservative government.