The product I am advertising is the use of the website/hotline Talk to Frank.

This
would mean advertising the negative effects of drugs, and eradicating the myths and false
information that young people may hear.

My client is the government. This would benefit the government as the general public are
more aware of the laws and legislations surrounding certain drugs, therefore can tighten
up on drug control.

The idea for the advert is to have a simplistic advert, with minimal action, merely
depicting the effects drug have on an individuals physical appearance. He graphic
images have the potential to scare the audience and grab their attention.

My target audience for this commercial is young people aged 16 24. I believe this is
most appropriate target audience as persons within that age group are more likely to have
questions about drugs. This would mean the advert would fall under people in the E
social group; this includes students and people on low incomes. People with low incomes
tend to live in areas with the highest drug problems; therefore a DRUG SUPPORT
helpline would resonate well with this group.

The idea is to show the commercial during the evening. This would be when popular
programming such as Hollyoaks would be airing; this programme hits the same target
audience as the advert aims too, therefore this would be an effective place to show the
advert.

The overall idea of the advert is to portray a simplistic nature to the audience;this means
that the sound, colour and graphics are minimal. The only audio heard within the advert
is the persons speaking; this is add to the idea that the young people in the advert are
communicating directly with the audience. This displays the campaigns main message
symbolically; that the helpline is there for people to be able to talk. The backdrops being
ordinary settings such as a messy bedroom, a park bench and a school, gives the
impression that the young people in the advert are normal, average, yet the backgrounds
are still dark, to emphasise the tragedy and dramatic statement the advert tries to imprint.
One of the teenagers is shown in a hospital and a police station; this reminds the audience
of the dire nature of the situation, which makes them able to understand not only the
severity of the repercussions drug use, but the effect it has on their family, friends and
peers. The young people are projected onto the backgrounds via the use of green screen,
this creates the effect that they are displaced from their surroundings; showing that drugs
and loss of a peer can cause disassociation from everyday life. The advert contains no
graphics; this is to once again display simplicity and to not displace the audience from
the content of the advert. The advert contains a realist narrative; this is done in order to
show the audience what lack of knowledge and misinformation can do, by adding
graphics to this, it may remove the realistic nature of the advert.

Based on the fact the campaign is government funded, it does not have any major rival
companies. The "Talk to Frank" campaign is the most successful of all the anti-drug
campaigns, running for over 13 years. The campaign has a a small number of
competitors; such as Oasis health, Urban 75 and Dan 247. These are not considered
major threats to the campaign, due to "Talk to Franks" unique approach to drug
counselling. Whilst the competitors focus on providing medical facts to support drug
users, "Talk to Frank" aims to inform the medical facts, legal repercussions but to also
offer confidential and friendly support. However, the main competitors focus on a wider
range for their target audiences, where as "Talk to Frank" aims at adolescents and young
people.

The client/buyer for the ad campaign in question, would be members of the department of

health, who initially started the campaign. The idea for the advert would have to be
pitched to them in order for them to consider using it as part of the campaign. This may
prove difficult as the campaign has a certain image that they want to behold, therefore,
the advert would have to reach specific requirements. The helpline is free of charge, but
still aims at a "buyer" this would be adolescents and young people ranging from ages 1424. The success of the campaign can be blamed on the length in which it has ran, which
provides the consumer with the idea of reliability. This means that the adverts are not
subjective; Frank is a bodiless entity, which mean that "Frank" can not be mocked by
physical appearance. (EG. being mocked for unfashionable clothing, therefore young
people not taking the campaign seriously.) This also relies on the information shared
about drugs being up to date, including the proper terminology for the drugs, as this
provides a sense of familiarity for those who may be struggling with drug related
problems.

I believe the advert should be bought as it offers a fresh face on an old campaign. Despite
the fact it stills blends with the themes of the campaign; it targets the audience in a new
way, which may make them reconsider their thoughts on the "Talk to Frank" helpline. .
Despite it's simplicity, the advert is stylistic in it's own way. It relies merely on
individuals talking straight to the audience, rather than portraying disturbing images, like
adverts for the helpline had done in the past. I believe this is beneficial for the company,
as it may give it a chance to reboot and refresh the image, making young people able to
relate more to the information. The "shock factor"of the advert may cause it to become a
topic of discussion with viewers. This may cause an influx in popularity for the helpline,
but also potentially cause a decline in the use of drugs or arrests for drug related crimes.

The concept of Talk to Frank in itself is unique, it is the only drug helpline that offers
confidentiality as well as advice, aimed at young people. Talk to Frank is a government
funded campaign, aimed to allow access to information about drugs, with the idea that
adolescents will be knowledgeable about the repercussions of drugs, and can make their
own decisions. The campaign uses the medium of short films and different forms of
media to advertise, the market for advertising is a lot larger due to government funding.
The company uses these films in order for adolescents to relate to the situations and feel
comfortable accessing the helpline.