Radio Advert Report

Commercial radio focuses on generating profit; there are many ways commercial radio look to gain money; the main source of income is from advertising. For example, selling news casts. Additional ways that commercial radio makes money include user involvement - such as Capital FM hosting special events such as their 'Summertime Ball', and competitions - which lead back to the radio station's profit.

In this assignment I will be analysing a radio advertisement that was produced by Barnardo’s, and released in 2015.

This radio advert is trying to convey the message of how child abuse occurs behind closed doors, and that anyone can be a victim, regardless of social class, ethnicity and gender. It also shows that abusers will cover their tracks by making up seemingly legitimate stories to explain how the victim obtained their injuries.

The style of my chosen advertisement is one of shock. The reason it falls under this category is because it speaks about a topic that's considered taboo - due to the fact that nobody mentions it openly in day-to-day conversation - in a blunt and matter-of-factly manner.

The structure of the advert is a one-off because it refers to a specific case study of a young boy called Max. It isn't part of a series as it only mentions a snapshot into the experiences of this one victim.

Its purpose is to provide information, as well as sell a service. Contact details are given at the very end of the advert so as to allow listeners to gain more knowledge on the subject matter as well as to enable them to donate money. The advert is for a company that aims to protect victims of child abuse, raise awareness, and abolish this violence altogether.

From 0.01 seconds up until 0.13, there is a non-diegetic sound of the narrator informing the audience about a young boy who's a victim of child abuse. At 0.14 seconds up until 0.18 seconds, there's the diegetic sound of a child. Children are often used in adverts to make them more emotional, because they're vulnerable and innocent. The fact that a child's voice has been used in an advert about abuse is particularly effective as it adds a little perspective. People will be more likely to donate to the charity due to this.

The advert's voiceover, which starts at 0.01 seconds, is by an Australian woman. This is relevant as the charity is Australian. Her tone is calm yet blunt as she explains how the particular victim mentioned had to "learn how to walk" all over again as a result of the injury he obtained. This uses shock to capture the attention of the audience, a persuasive technique as it makes the audience feel as though they should do something to help. It also means that the advertisement is far more memorable, making it more likely to be a success I achieving its aims - raising awareness and selling the charity's service.

The persuasive techniques used throughout the advert, such as a child's voice being used from 0.14 to 0.18 seconds, enable the advert to become more successful. It's likely that it raised a lot of money, and became the subject of conversation across Australia due to its shockingly blunt nature. The use of the woman's voiceover from 0.01 seconds through to 0.13 seconds gives the audience the information that the advertisement has to offer. Female voices are often used in adverts due to the fact that they're perceived to be more calm and relaxing. This completely contrasts from the content of this recording, making it more effective as it increases the matter-of-fact element to it. This is done to show how common this shocking behavior is.

This advert's level of distribution is national as it can be found on the internet. However, it was originally released for Australia due to the nationality of the charity.

Regulatory bodies would have told the producers that this advertisement can only be played after the watershed due to its distressing content. Adverts that are played after this 9pm cut off contain more offensive or upsetting content because younger listeners will have gone to bed and so won't be listening to it. This protects them from content that isn't appropriate for their age, while ensuring that it's still heard by an adult audience.