-
Author
-
Jane Stadler
-
Year
-
2010
-
Publisher
-
Taylor & Francis
-
Abstract
-
South Africa has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the world, but lacks a prominent, effective, publicly funded media information and education campaign.Footnote1 The absence of adequate government communication in this area of health education has created a space for innovative community and corporate interventions. This article brings together arguments about the functions of advertising, the socio‐political dynamics of sexual behaviour change and the semiotic impact of media representations. It analyses corporate social responsibility initiatives in which a commercial advertising agency, a multinational corporation, and a television broadcaster have become involved in public service communication and have taken responsibility for publicizing AIDS‐related issues.
The three intersecting case studies undertaken here focus on pro bono advertising work by Saatchi and Saatchi; the Levi Strauss Foundation's support for AIDS concerns (including Levi's own advertisements featuring HIV+ models); and the ‘Vuka Awards’, a national competition for public service announcements (PSAs) funded and broadcast by MultiChoice Africa.Footnote2 While the public awareness campaigns launched by these corporate citizens represent worthwhile social interventions, analysis reveals a range of competing interests, persuasion strategies and communication objectives. The production of commercial advertisements and public relations campaigns entails different aims, responsibilities and requirements. Conflating the goals and techniques of each can result in a confused message and in the misdirection of communication efforts, particularly if the audience that might benefit most isn't necessarily attractive to the corporate sponsor. The following analysis of these progressive initiatives is not intended to detract from the campaigns themselves. Instead, it aims to foreground areas in which collaboration between academic researchers and organizations involved in social investment projects might be beneficial, and to question whether commercial advertising techniques can serve the function of a well‐researched PSA.
-
Language
-
English