Help before it’s too late!

Imagine, someone collapses in front of you. What do you do? Panic is not an option, you must do something before it is too late, but what? Unfortunately many people have been in this situation, and many were clueless of what to do outside of calling an ambulance. Luckily you can prepare yourself by attending first aid training. The advertisement, put out by the Czech Red Cross in 2010 found the Digital Synopsis website, aims to spread this message to as many untrained Czech citizens as possible (Ads of the World).

The advertisement’s image is a graveyard with a statue of an angel doing CPR on a grave(Digital Synopsis). The image is meant to evoke a dreary melancholy in any who see it by its usage of object placement, shadowy colors and contrast, and the metaphors of the angel, the red candle, the sunset, and the cross tombstone. It expresses in words what can be done to avoid any future travesty by connecting subtext to the image and offering the solution of going to become trained in first aid, the viewer is more inclined to trust this solution due to the Red Cross’s logo on the advertisement, as well as the fact that they may have lost loved ones.

The main draw of the advertisement is the image. Immediately, the viewer is met with a dark graveyard setting. Their eye is drawn towards the center, where the setting sun, tombstone, and angel are due to the outer parts of the image being darkened and in turn, less distinct. They see that the angel is attempting CPR on the tombstone, then begin to wander and look at the other objects in the image. The placement of all of these objects in the image is important, as it draws the viewer’s attention to certain parts of the image before others, allowing a gradual understanding of what is going on in the image, and a gradual build up of emotions.

The dark colors of the sunset sets the tone of the piece. The trees and background objects are silhouetted and the borders of the image are darkened to add a feeling of dread to the piece. The fact that it is set in a graveyard with recently visited graves makes this emotion even more clear. Almost all of the color in the image is muted and darkened as well, aside from the red candle on the grave.

There are multiple meaningful metaphors place throughout the advertisement. The first of which is the angel. The angel is seen doing CPR on a grave. In christianity, angels are divine protectors of humanity and messengers of god (Religion Facts). In this case, the angel has both purposes in the advertisement. The advertisement suggests that the angel was unable to save the person whos grave is seen in the image. If the viewer were to learn first aid such as CPR, they could be like an angel to the person that they save, and unlike the angel in the image, the saviour would not be too late to save a life.

The setting sun represents that the time you have left to learn first aid is dwindling. This, paired with the shadowy cross in the background strikes fear into the viewer that the next emergency could be right around the corner. As for the red candle, it is a traditional christian grave ornament, but seen in the image, it means that the grave is new. All of these metaphorical ideas combine to help inform the viewer of the urgency and importance of learning first aid.

The subtext of the advertisement “ Help before it’s too late” is the final emotional jab before reading the line beneath it telling the reader that they could save others if they were to attend first aid training. This compounds with the visual devices of metaphor seen in the image to drive the point further and stress the importance that there is no time to wait to get training in first aid, because any day could be the day that you will need those skills to save a life. If the viewer were to logically think about how often emergency situations happen, they would realize that it happens more often than one would like. While it does not give any details as to where to go to training, the viewer’s eye connects the remembrance of the red candle to the Red Cross’s logo, which guides them to where to start looking. However, the copious amounts of pathos in the advertisement is the main reason that is meant to compel the viewer to find out more.

After having looked at the advertisement for long enough, the viewer would notice the fact that it was put out by the Czech Red Cross. The Red Cross is a reputable non-profit organization, and so their reliability and medical knowledge and expertise is transferred to the advertisement, making it far more likely for its purpose to be accomplished. Additionally, the advertisement will strike hard to anyone unfortunate enough to have lost a loved one, and may compel them to listen.

The heavy usage pathos in the advertisement is the core component in driving home the purpose of convincing people to learn first aid. While the logical side of the advertisement exists through its clear statements an example of what could happen, it alone would not make a Czech citizen take time out of their day to take a first aid class. However, the little logos that is in the advertisement is strongly supported by the credibility of the Czech Red Cross. The logical purpose is mainly carried by the emotional power of the advertisement. By using a dreadful setting with dark colors and religious metaphors to stir sadness and worry in the viewers, and perhaps even bringing up painful memories, the advertisement makes the viewer think about what could possibly happen in the future, then provides them a solution. That solution being the purpose of the advertisement, to learn first aid.