To think that TV charity advertising has become mawkish and manipulative?

[FidelineandFumblin]

I have been working v v PT since Christmas due to illness. Prior to that I don't think I had seen more than a handful of TV ads in several years (thank you Sky +).

I am just at the advertising approach charities now use on television. I have just seen one for SENSE which takes a stinking attitude to 'deafblind children' (IMVHO) and tells me that "Elliot loves his Mummy but he doesn't know how to tell her because he hasn't learnt to speak" (I'm sure Elliot managed to communicate his love for his mum wonderfully all along actually, speech or not.) Lots of negative vocabulary and sad looking children and minor-key music. Then it all turns happy when the narrator talks about bringing the children "into our world"; The colour palette warms up, the music brightens, children smile etc. It is just a dreadful message and not only that it is all in our hands to bring this change about.

NSPCC ad is like a trailer for Mis Lit.

Lots of animal charities similarly. Where did this genre spring from?

Thing is countries that would really benefit with this influx of money, dont get it. We give it to countries that are corrupt and evidence shows it doesn't go to who needs it :(

I get really unreasonably irate at that "coming to get you cancer" one, because I recognised one of the people in it - she is an actress and has been in loads of other things. Not sure quite why that irks me so much but it just does
They give the impression that the people are either suffering from or survivors of, cancer, or their families, and arghhh it pisses me off :(
I hate all those type of charity adverts though - the one thing they do is put me off donating. How much do the bloody adverts cost to make and show anyway?

Ds nagged me for months about sponsoring a bloody snow leopard! At 8, he totally bought into the advertising! I ended up telling him the sponsorship would have to be his birthday present, and he changed his tune!

I totally agree. They annoy me.

I seem rather cold-hearted when others talk about charity adverts making them weep (especially the ones about pooooor furrrrry animaaaals) but the manipulation and dodgy representation of other populations just makes me scowl.

I have my own charities I support based on their purpose and knowing exactly how far my money goes - typically ones that focus on the positives of what they do, not the negatives of you not donating.

There was actually a voluntary agreement not to use relentless misery porn images of Africans in fundraising but some charities have reneged on it because the technique works better than more dignified or positive representations.

As for corruption I don't know. I only have experience of direct funding to organisations, not funding through governments but it's not just the receiving governments that are corrupt. A lot of aid is about opening up markets in these countries for the benefit of international corporate businesses such as Monsanto, not the people of that country.

YANBU

Daytime TV especially channels like ITV3 are littered with them. I hate to say it but I do flick the channel when they come on as they are so frequent and go on for so long. It must be counter productive to play these ads as frequently as they do as they lose their shock factor and just become an irritation.

I give money (not a huge amount admittedly) to a couple of charities every month, but these ads wouldn't encourage me to switch my donation to them.

I think they need better marketing advice to be honest. Bullying the viewer won't help your cause.