TOW #3 - Visual Text "Liking Isn’t Helping. Be A Volunteer. Change A Life"

     The 21st century has become known as the age of technology. While the advancement in this field has allowed great innovations to be made, there have also been some drawbacks.  People are connected better now more than ever, but the strong network has not necessarily translated to positive progression. In an advertisement produced by the Catholic Relief Service (CRS), a non-profit humanitarian aid organization, a powerful image clearly depicts the modern day issue with technology. The CRS attempts to persuade Americans into volunteering those in crisis rather than just watching the ongoing issues on social media without taking action. By appealing to the audience's emotions and using satire, the organization conveys a dynamic idea to millions of United States' civilians.
     The Catholic Relief Service presents a bold image of a helpless child wrapped around the body of his mother to effectively spread their message. The organization directly captures the interests of Americans and touches their hearts through the use of pathos. By appealing to the audience's emotions, the CRS makes Americans realize the urgency of the humanitarian issues and persuades them to take action. In addition, the monochromatic coloring creates a more depressing mood, which makes the audience sympathize to a greater extent. Ultimately, the heartbreaking image influences viewers to go and assists people in need, such as the frail boy in the poster.
    The use of satire also changes the perspectives of Americans and convinces them to volunteer. A sense of stupidity and ignorance is highlighted by the pointed up thumbs surrounding the feeble boy. The thumbs represents the iconic "like" button on social media, but more specifically, it signifies the lack of consideration by the American population.  By ridiculing its audience through this symbolic image, the CRS persuasively convinces people to stop lingering and start helping deprived individuals. Hence, the utilization of pathos and satire in this compelling advertisement effectively spreads a meaningful message to countless Americans.
 

Link: http://www.demilked.com/social-advertisement-powerful-ads/