CRITICAL INVESTIGATION DRAFT

AN EXPLORATION INTO THE REPRESENTATIONS CREATED WITHIN NSPCC (CHILD LINE) AND THE POSITIVE EFFECTS IT HAS ON ITS TARGET AUDIENCE? [NEED A NEW TITLE???]

[May need a better introduction]
In January 2010 “The NSPCC has signed up Paul Hartnoll, from dance act Orbital, to mix an urban soundtrack for its latest TV campaign” - Guardian. The campaign was developed by Saatchi and Saatchi a well known global advertising agency. The Guardian reported that “It aims to raise awareness of the NSPCC's Child Line support services which are available over the phone or online”. The video clip features the children’s answers to the questions of “How U Feelin?” which is the strapline for the NSPCC campaign. This campaign aims to allow children to remix the TV ad themselves and the best mixed version would be shown on television. “With this ad we wanted to grab young people's attention and show them that Child Line can help them express how they are feeling,” said Paul Silburn, creative partner at Saatchi & Saatchi London. “The remix online application gives them the space to do this in a creative and interactive way.” The video of montages connotes children’s views and feelings of bulling and abuse, using the creativity of an urban street theme. The dark setting uses the montages of children with different images positioned around the screen at different angles and shots. The children each use a word to describe “how they feel” as this is the intention of the campaign, each child is positioned differently within a shot some looking more upset then others this connotes that different children may feel and have different emotions towards any problems that they may have, some cases are worse then others. A music beat begins as the children’s montages progress a child asks “How are you feeling?” making different children’s opinions being connoted through the beat some words being repeated over again such as “bored” within the video. The montages begin to be shown at a faster pace which makes people feel more aware of the how there are many feelings shown with different children. Using flashing images and switching between different shots connotes the relation between the beat and the children’s opinions. The idea of a child riding their bike through the urban street theme connotes a realistic setting of an everyday environment which is used, and can be shown as a quiet place making people look at the environment in which it is set, a subway. As the music beat begins to fade the institution NSPCC shows a black background and in white bold text a contact number, website and different emotions. By using only two colors this maybe so people are mainly focused on the information necessary such as the contact numbers to help. This website does not use distressing or inappropriate scenes to show social awareness but tries to help children over come their fears and allows them to feel confident and not alone when contacting the child line hotline, giving a positive impact on the way in which the target audience should feel.
Campaigns have needed to show as little distress as possible, over the last few years it can be argued that campaigns no longer use statistics as a way to attract a target audience, evidence from The Guardian shows that The Advertising Standards Authority has banned an ad campaign by the NSPCC. The ad claimed that one in six children are sexually abused, but had used statistics that were a decade out of date. Having used misleading information can cause huge concern within society making people feel distressed at the thought of the statistics, show as the “study conducted in 1998-99 and published in 2000” – Guardian. In September 2008 the NSPCC had made a similar campaign which was named NSPCC ‘Butterfly’ the aim of the campaign shows a Butterfly which searches through a city for a child that needs help and wants to talk about problems. The video ends with the strapline 'Help us listen to every child's voice’; this was also created by Saatchi & Saatchi. Having had previous campaigns presented in the same way as the ‘orbital NSPCC campaign’ shows that the concern for not presenting distressing and misleading information to children watching child line, it has been the importance within the way the NSPCC presents the different campaigns (making the target audience feel comfortable). The videos main focus is of a butterfly seeking to help find children who need help. The video shows a butterfly flying next to grass and having used folksy soundtrack which connotes peace and calm making the video feel less upsetting. The campaign uses children who are happy and running around whilst laughing and playing this connotes the happiness shown in children, which shows that the world is not all bad. The use of bright lighting which is denoted from the sun connotes warm, caring and joyfulness to make people feel more comfortable with the campaign. However, when it reaches a sad looking girl sat against a wall the music stops and there is a voice over which explains the reason behind the campaign. The little girl looks scared lonely and worried and is surrounded by the butterflies this can connote that the butterflies can be seen as a way of safety for the little girl as they are around her. There is a scene with a boy looking out of the window of a tower block and there are still no voices, as a butterfly tries to enter into the window but is blocked out connotes that some children can not be helped and this is a reason for why people should help the last shot uses the same layout as ‘orbital’ by using a black background and white bold writing can allow people to read the information clearly but also the voice over reads over the website address. The use of institutions are also shown as the child line, NSPCC and NSPCC hotline are all interlinked which are shown at the bottom of the screen. Having used a large speech bubble promoting ‘child voice appeal’ is seen to be very important, and having used a smaller text underneath ‘Let no cry unheard’ can be seen as a way to let people understand the necessity but also that they do not want people to feel pressured into speaking but is a way of allowing them to in their own time, as it is not shown in large letters but smaller text.
“During the late 1980s and early 1990s a problem occurred within the media, which caused a moral panic to emerge over alleged ritual satanic abuse. The NSPCC provided a publication known as 'Satanic Indicators' to social services around the country that has been blamed for some social workers panicking and making false accusations. The most prominent of these cases was in Rochdale in 1990 when up to 20 children were taken from their homes and parents after social services believed them to be involved in satanic or occult ritual abuse.” – Wikipedia. This shows NSPCC having caused a huge concern within society, the institutions had to think about the way in which they are presented through the media as an overall institution for both donation campaigns which are targeted to an older audience and within child line which is carefully thinking about the concerns created for children. NSPCC child line has carefully thought about the way in which the campaign should be presented and what ways in which it would have positive effects on children. “Helping more than 750,000 children, young people and families through our local services and increasing the amount of public support amongst adults -in 2009 more than 80 per cent of adults regularly told us that ending cruelty to children is one of their top causes – an increase of 65 per cent from the launch of FULL STOP in 1999” - www.nspcc.org.uk 2009. It can show that NSPCC child line is an institution that is having a positive effect on children, as children feel confident enough to ring and receive advice and help, as the statistics show that the amount of services provided are increasing as more children want the support but also how adults are becoming more involved and the difference created within a historical context meaning that people over the years have developed on the idea of child line and as a society have become more involved whether economical to give donations or as a community for example volunteering to help.
The NSPCC Child line website uses bold and bright colors to attract the target audience; having the use of a huge amount of interaction with the target audience is seen as a way to get them more involved and engaged, children are able to change the wallpaper on the website so they can choose a background linked to their mood for example flames denoting anger, also allowing children to play games can be seen as a way of getting their minds of their problems, also allowing children to share their feelings and feel as a community, being able to read other peoples stories about their problems and having the opportunity to use “ask Sam” as a way to ask for advice if needed. The website connotes the importance of the contact number given as it is shown a lot all over the website having it bold and colorful allowing the audience to see it when first viewing the website, also the use of having a easy number to remember is very useful as children who want help; being able to remember the number they can contact child line at any time. The website has many useful methods in which children can contact child line, not just for children but adults also, having advice for adults but allowing them to have fundraising ideas or volunteering this allows older people to be more involved with children’s concerns and also if there was any problems how to relate to them at any time. Child line enables society to work together and share their views and opinions on a ‘message board’ which brings people together. Having different media platforms to represent child line is a positive effect of the target audience as they are able to relate to the institution in more then one way, being able to interact with others can cause a sense of ease and allow children to feel more comfort. The child line website does not target one specific problem but relates to all different types such as friendships and bullying, having a wide range of topics which can relate to each other can allow children to talk about all different aspects they are concerned with for example a child can “ask Sam” anonymously about a problems with bullying whether about themselves or their friends, the target audience receives advice back from either other people within the “community” or by an advisor of NSPCC child line. “Child line is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by The NSPCC. Child Line deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, such as child abuse, bullying and sex.” – Wikipedia. This has a positive impact on the target audience allowing them to talk to someone without any pressure and is able to gain more confidence and help from others which they make not know.
To conclude NSPCC is represented within all three media platforms, allowing its target audience whether children or adults to come forward and know about advice and help that can be given, NSPCC has clearly thought about all aspects in which it should be presented and has created a growing positive effect on children as they can communicate with people that can give advice but also is a way to allow children to feel safe, the use of confidentially is the key to making the children feel safe and confident when they contact NSPCC. The NSPCC has received a lot of publicity from different social networking as in a social context people have got more involved: “The NSPCC has called a recent online campaign that raised money for the organisation "quite astonishing", thousands changing their profile picture to their favourite cartoon character”, this sense of community with people can be seen as positive aspect: Paul Amadi, NSPCC Director of Fundraising, said: "Social networking campaigns can have amazing reach and while the NSPCC was not behind this particular activity, we have been able to attract many new supporters which will help us in our work."(Reported: 15 December 2010, www.cafonline.org) – Support is given world wide and the NSPCC has become international by being linked with highly populated institutions.




**MY OWN QUESTIONNAIRE – NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED**