Not for Profit Ad 1

The Salvation Army - Christmas 2009

Created by:
Mike Colling & Company and Watson Phillips Norman

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Emotional

Analysis:
The Salvation Army's 2009 Christmas ad used a very strong level of emotional appeal to convey the message to television viewers.

This is evident in the advertisement's choice of music. In advertisements, music can be generally defined as songs, sound effects or any other form of noise that is found present. One of the main roles of music in ads today is the creation or enhancement of a mood or atmosphere (White, 2003). Therefore, it can be concluded that the mellow tune used as the ad's background music created a feeling of 'emptiness' when the ad was watched by viewers.

Additionally, the right half of the advertisement which portrayed a gloomy atmosphere had less lighting and colour compared to that of the left to further reinforce the feeling of 'emptiness' being projected by the ad.

One of the main contributions of the ads effectiveness to the campaign's success is the ad's attention-grabbing abilities. As advertisements in the Christmas season are normally promoted through the use of a merry and cheerful tone, the existence of an ad that gives out a completely opposite atmosphere enables TSA's Christmas 2009 ad to stand out among all other advertisements. At the same time, level of honesty and compassion towards others depicted in the ad increased consumers' attention and ad viewership (Mike Colling & Company and Watson Phillip Norman, 2010).

In my opinion, the Salvation Army also timed the appearance of the ad very effectively. In many countries, Christmas is a time where people exchange gifts, thus the existence of the Christmas spirit which encourages one to do good for those in need. Because of that, it is highly likely that the organization itself receives an increased amount of donations as compared to other time of the year.

Moreover, non-financial donations were also welcomed, allowing those who have less disposable income participate in the cause as well (The Salvation Army, 2009).

References:

1. Colling, M. & Company and Norman, W.P. (2010). The Salvation Army: Christmas 2009. Direct Marketing Association. Retrieved from WARC.
2. The Salvation Army (2009). Christmas is empty when you have nothing! Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/contactus/western-australia/latest-news/2009_media_releases/christmas-2009.html
3. White, R. (2003). Music in Advertising. Warc Best Practice. Retrieved from WARC.