My research on the audio visual advert for water aid charity.

1. Water aid Research
sheet
Benjamin Johnson
‘WE ARE WATER-AID’ ‘WE ARE WATER-AID’
‘WE ARE WATER-AID’

2. Media language//Codes and
Conventions
 The video is heart touching with the use of imagery it pulls on the heart
strings of the audience. The images of the children struggling to fetch
water which creates the audience to feel a sense of sorrow for them
and causes them to want to help which are the codes of this advert.
The way in which the children are positioned signifies how much
they're struggling and how much they need help.
 In the Tv advert you'd expect to see water seeing as its an organisation
who wants to provide those without water.
 We expect to see children fetching for water because that signifies how
much they are struggling seeing as that’s there way on how to get there
audience to sponsor.
 We don’t really expect to see them happy because normally when we
see adverts like water aid, we normally just see children and women
looking sad and dying.
 In my opinion I was expecting to see men helping the women and
children but I could only see children and women providing for there
families, but that suggests that the men are working elsewhere.
 There isn’t anyone speaking on the video itself there is only clapping
which cause you to concentrate more on the text and images that’s
being shown rather than the music. Its also catchy so its more
memorable to people.
 The video is very bright, there isn’t any dark colours which could
represent their brighter future that ahead.
 At the end of the video you start to see children laughing and smiling as
they have clean water, it signifies that water is having a big impact on
those struggling.

3. Representation
 Water aid are represented as an organization which aims to help those struggling in need
of basic every day things like water rand good hygiene. The way I which the people in
need are represented as helpless and in need of serious help, the way they're both
perceived is shown through a variety of captivating images which engages the audience.
 The video has no audio except for the clapping which represents that they don’t need
any talking they just need us to watch this video and think for ourselves.
 There are small children fetching water if this is there only choice to let small children
fetch water then that represents how much they're struggling otherwise they would
have the men doing it.
 The use of the three important normal things they need, one of them is good hygiene
which is what Water aid is aiming to provide them with, It represents how they don’t
even have the simplest things like this that we all do.
 The advert is very quick and small representing hat this process is very quick, all they
need is more support of us and they can help save the lives of those in need of everyday
things, the shortness of the video is that length for a reason, its used to signify that
donating doesn’t take any time what so ever all it is the click of the button and many
lives have been saved which is shown at the end with all the children happy with the
clean water representing how little water can mean to them.
 The stereotype of women being weaker than men and how they're seen as the lead role
in the marriage doesn't really apply seeing as women are the ones who are fetching
water and without them men would struggle even more.
 With all the children splashing water around also represents how happy they are with
clean water.
 With the reflection in the water compared to the water in the picture where the little girl
is fetching water is completely different, so that signifies what their living was like before
and after water-aid have helped these people. With the text being backwards that
represents the reflection in the water which is a nice feature.

4. Audiences
 Water aids audience could be targeted at a mixture of different social groups but its mainly aimed at parents and older
citizens who have children them selves and who would know how it would feel if they're children or grandchildren were
in the same position as those in poorer countries.
 It mentions about changing the laws so it could be aimed at those in the government or who are involved in politics, they
have the power and influence that could change these communities lives, with the repetition of change more people will
be remembered of what needs to happen, it also represents how only the people can change these families lives for the
better.
 The word Lets is repeated about four or five times suggesting that we all need to do something or in this case change,
they could of put you but instead they’ve put lets which is plural signifying that everyone in the community needs to do
something.
 It even mentions the word together also signifying how we all need to help, everyone needs to participate into making
many lives better.

5. Media context
• Now in todays society everyone is more excepting of
coloured people and those from different places of
the world so a lot more people are going to want to
help. Social media has also expanded rapidly
therefore Water aid can be seen and heard by more
of todays society.
• More people today watch videos online more than
reading on social media examples like YouTube,
videos are more engaging with the audio and the
colours, if they promoted their charity in newspaper
people would just flick the page as it wouldn’t get
their attention compared the online.
• More of todays society are a lot more educated but
Water aid are wanting to spread more knowledge
about the struggles these people go through,
compared to back then more men and women are a
lot more lenient when it comes to learning so it fits
right into todays society.

6. Issues covered in the advert
• There are a lot of issues raised in the advert for water aid, the main urgent one is
water, this issue is represented through the use of repetition, images of them fetching
dirty eater are shown throughout the video which signifies how they don’t have clean
fresh water. This issue is then overcome by them showing videos on them with water
given by water aid and how their lives have changed ever since they were helped.
• The second issue that was raised is how they don’t have any good hygiene, this is
shown by the same ways how there struggling for water was shown, repetition and
images helps portray this issue the best, the three needs that are repeated, one of
them is hygiene so the fact that its apart of the main three signifies how important it is.
• The last issue that was mentioned In the three main ones was toilets, if they don’t have
any clean toilets that could lead to many other dangers like disease which can lead to
many people dying, the reason behind these particular issues are included are that
they are three very normal everyday needs, we all have them and that is what water
aid are trying to progress to their audience.
• The images that are shown involve children fetching water for their families which
shouldn’t really be happening, they should be in school being educated but instead
they are having to get dirty water that probably contains thousands of diseases to try
and survive, Water aid are trying catch people attention by showing them how severe
the issues are and how something needs to happen.