For example, i will compare/contrast a female groups advertisement and a males group. A few advertisements were done like this one; where one groups radio ad consisted of a dialogue between two friends. One of the friends is on the other's computer when an online gambling website comes up, the friend questions the other about it. At this point, the friend with the gambling problem quickly tries to cover it up, denies it and tells the friend that they should go. The ad ends with a voiceover with a bit of information and a place to get help and more information. This used the "pulling at the heart strings" technique, uses repetition to enforce how gambling is a serious problem, that people who gamble need to get help. They use some statistics to show how gambling effects many. It uses two young females in the narrative which makes me think that it would be directed to teen girls. Overall, I think this kind of advertisement is very effective; it is very relatable situation, it intrigues the audience by using a dialogue between two people and music, it effects people by making them feel sad/touches peoples hearts about the problem of gambling and, it has strong, clear message that is repeated about the effects and outcomes of gambling. A radio advertisement like this one applies to both gamblers and the friends or family standing by.
Another popular idea for the advertisements was one where it is all voiceover and very informative. These used slow/ambient music the set the mood/tone for the ad and also used direct address (directed to audience). By using one speaker giving information about gambling, it is more addressing gamblers not friends or bystanders. It also used slogans or a strong ending message, like; "Don't start or else you will never stop".
Considering that creating a radio ad is sort of difficult i think both forms of advertisements are effective. But my personal opinion would be that ones that use dialogue (with teens) are more relatable for the youth gambling audience and have more of an impact on teens when they hear it because it would be things they have heard before and things that happen in their day-to-day life. I think creating a radio advertisement is quiet hard because first you obviously have to come up with an idea that audiences could relate to but it's extra difficult since you must get your message across in a quick amount of time (30 seconds to a minute) and it must be very clear and basic, so people listening will understand it easily. I thought that making these advertisements was a bit difficult in class too, because you had to have some knowledge of recording and working audacity (or garage band). Overall, i thought it was really interesting and a cool thing to learn how to do and be able to hear what other people created.
| Group | Conventions used | Strengths | Areas to improve |
| 1. Sarah and Katharine | - Music - Dialogue/ narrative (conflict, tension) - Relatable experience - Serious mood/tone - Heart strings technique - Echo - Statistics - Voice over, no echo - Repetition | - Relatable situation - Clear message - Realistic situation - Echo creates dream like, imaginative state - Repeating words enforces a hidden message, of how gambling is a repeating action | - Make voice over different, from narrative - Voice over louder and clearer |
| 2. Brook and Chris | - Informative - All voice over - Narrative about what gambling is and isn’t - Relatable situation, targets males - Heart strings technique - Low tone “sad/serious” music | - Serious tone through creates mood - Full voice over - Directed to males over females by stating situations in which gambling is common - Repetition of help and problem to enforce it | - Speak with more tones/levels to intrigue audience into listening |
| 3. Karen and Emma | - Statistics - Dialogue - Sound effects to feel closer to characters, to create setting - Good picture given to audience - Strong message | - Good impact line/slogan - Intrigues audience to situation - Good story line, plot | - Transition to narrative - Change in voice from dialogue to information/statistics |
| 4. Anja and Mia | - Stories, narrator - Personal feelings of outsider and gambler - Easy to relate or compare to - Different P.O.V. | - Pulse and music makes you feel in the moment, has an intense feeling - Good creation of setting - Boom represents realization - Different possible views on ad, for gamblers, bystanders, friends etc - Good fade out and beeping at the end | -Make voices more clear/unmuffled for better effect |
| 5. Sonya and Melanie | - Female and male speakers, very relatable - Male speakers voice in his head - Targeted to gamblers, to point out problems and thoughts - Wind and door noise sounds cold, isolated etc | - Two points of view on same story - Sympathy for male speaker - Good idea for gamblers to relate to the voice inside another gamblers head - Convincing - Good pacing sound and music - Denial and excuses used | - Slow down speaker 1 to create better mood/feeling |
| 6. Ayesha and Nikki | - Relatable to students in school setting - Male and female characters - Shows how gambling is holding you back - Sad/misery feeling | - Clear speakers and voicing - Good setting/environment created - Good situation for teens to relate and compare themselves too - Good punch line, serious meaning | - Slow down information from narrator - Less information from 2nd speaker |
| 7. Connor and Daniel | - Dialogue/ narrative - School setting, relatable to young people - Good separation between narrative and voice over - Applies to teens by word choice - Story line | - Voiceover stands out well over dialogue - Diverse tones - British voice, has an authoritative affect - Half info/ half story - Voices come from different sides | - Not clear gambling message/situation at the beginning - Does not apply to female perspective |
| 8. Lp and Mike | - No SFX - Targeted to older audience (not teens) | - Change in voice from personal story to narrator - Stronger message, because of no SFX in background - Good message for older audience | - More tones in voice at beginning |
| 9. James | - Sad music/song in background- rain noise - Good message - Direct address - Created mood/setting with music and tone - Cinematic (story…dramatic) | - Effective message and use of information - No narrative worked well for this ad - Ending line (don’t start or else you won’t stop) - Starting sound peaks interest | - Music too loud - Voice tone a bit low |
| 10. | - Narrator and small voiceover to sum it up - Desperation - Setting created by sound and story - Young adult audience (rent, money) - Thoughts of a gambler - Use of fear and sympathy - Male target | - Good personal story, from gamblers P.O.V - Directed to gamblers with a problem (poker players) - Good story in narrative - Easily relatable | - Needs more pacing and tone in personal narrative - Needs contact information to get help |
| 11. Vinny | - Dialogue (gambler and dealer) - Voice over at the end - Repetition - Fear - Direct address - SFX of dice | - Good overall message - Strong point - Relatable - Leaves impact | - More sad tones in voice |
| 12. Gillian and Nichola | - Heart strings technique - Direct address - Music gettings stronger (start is quieter and dreamy, then creates new mood and setting as is changes) - Targeted to teens and things they would want and have | - Relatable - Changing mood to create the story and get into the mentality of a gambler - good sad, low music to intense music when voiceover comes on | - Clearer voice |
| 13. Nick | - SFX used (phone ringing) - Dialogue to voiceover at the end - Plays to heart strings and, wants and desires - Targeted to teens - Statistics | - Good information voiceover with background music/sound effects - Targeted to gambler and outsider - Hanging up of phone leaves strong impact - Energetic and intriguing tone, draws in audience - Shows relationship between two people and how gambling effects them | - Shorten phone call dialogue |
