Wateraid advert A Level Media Analysis

 WaterAid Advert Analysis

In this advert, we can see a mid-shot right at the start, of the radio and the rain against the window. We know this scene is taking place in Britain due to the accent from the voice on the radio and the stereotypical miserable British rain falling. This scene then quickly shifts into a much different environment, where there is bright sunshine and an extreme lack of rain. We can easily see that this is an example of binary opposition where the two opposites are placed next to each other to emphasize the difference between these environments, despite this happening at the same time.

There is a representation of a young, black, African American, female who is working class. We can infer she is working class through the way she is carrying a bucket of water.  She is represented as a strong independent woman. The song she is singing is a popular 1990s song. This creates nostalgia towards that age range of people who knew the song when it was popular, bringing in a new target audience.  

The camera is then zoomed into Claudia's feet at a low angle to show that she is walking slowly. The fact she is walking slowly creates a sense of suspense among the audience as it makes them question why she is walking so slow - this is a hermeneutic code, the audio helps increase this sense as there is a lack of dialogue and we can only really hear her singing in this wide environment. In this larger wide-angle shot, we can see how big the area of land she is standing in is. The fact she is alone shows her independence, this is presenting the representation that women can also do things alone and don't need to rely on anyone else to get them done. 

 As we see an extreme close-up of Claudia's face, the tension is increased between the audience and the character as all they can focus on is her face. The audience is left confused by this as it makes them wonder where she is going or what she is doing. As the advert progresses we then can see other people, who are looking very happy and positive, also carrying colourful buckets wearing colourful clothes. The colourfulness symbolises their cheerfulness and is reflecting their positive attitudes, despite having a lack of water. This creates a sense of community as they all are facing the same difficulty but are still remaining positive by singing in harmony. This therefore shares happiness to the audience.