Professional Documents
Culture Documents
As we live our day to day lives, we are constantly presented with advertisements of all
sorts. Some advertisements are so conveying that the audience can’t help but give into and
contribute to the ad’s overall purpose. Whether this simply means singing along to a commercial
or donating money to relief programs every month, ads use many components and face several
impacting decisions that affect the audience and the total outcome of the illustration. Needless to
say, not all advertisements are quite effective. In some cases, viewers might even question the
existence of the text. In others however, the message is so influential, it grasps the audience’s
The illustration “Liking isn’t helping” is such a great example of what skills and
techniques an author incorporates in his image to help convey his message. To begin with, the
advertisement displays an image of a woman and a boy on the floor. The woman’s body
language is focused entirely on the boy as she wraps her hands around his body and face. The
woman is staring directly at the child who seems to be injured and is laying unresponsively in
her arms. Although no injuries are visibly clear, there are dark stains on the child’s clothing and
his mouth is wide open. The boy has no shoes and the woman is roped in a hijab and clothing
that covers her whole body. A number of hands circle the pair of individuals but instead of
helping, the hands simply gesture a thumbs up. Furthermore, the image is illustrated in a black
and white color scheme which helps create a somber tone. The advertisement contains a text
reading “Liking isn’t helping” along with “Be a volunteer. Change a life”. Besides the second
The organization, also known as the Crisis Relief Singapore, is a Christian disaster relief
organization who published this ad in 2013. This organization begun in 1999 and is ran by
volunteers who provide training and opportunities for those who seek to make a difference. They
are Christian centered and focus on giving a little bit more extra help to disadvantaged women
and children. This advertisement, alongside with a couple others, was made with the sole
Taking all of the facts into consideration, the author does a great job using various
techniques to achieve his purpose. Although the organization might have not convinced every
single viewer to become a volunteer, they certainly sparked interest. To begin with, the
illustration focuses mainly on the woman and the injured child. As viewers notice the child’s
condition, the woman’s clothing, and their environment, it is easy to assume that they reside in
third world conditions. Noting this, the author uses pathos to make the audience feel a sense of
sadness and guilt. This is due to the fact that because we live in the United States, we are
bombarded with endless amounts of resources. We are not able to relate to the happening of the
image as we have easy access to anything we need to survive. This causes a sense of guilt as
many resources are easily attainable to many, yet no action is being done in order to help the
effective. For starters, it appeals to many people worldwide. Noting the fact that a child
represents innocence and purity, when people see an injured child, the first thing they want to do
is help him/her. As for women, this advertisement appeals to their maternal instinct. Not only do
they feel a great sense of guilt, but the advertisement also makes them sympathize with the
woman who could be interpreted to be the mother of the child, as well as cause them to feel as if
they need to keep the child away from any harm. The child’s presence in the picture creates a
The organization also uses key components such as a color scheme to add to the purpose
of the illustration. To elaborate, the black and white filter help guide the viewer to what is most
important. It keeps the audience away from any distractions and even adds seriousness to the
text. The chosen colors create a melancholy tone which contributes to the overall purpose of the
image. Through the text provided, the author also manages to create a mocking tone.
Referencing the incapability of a like given by Facebook users, CRS manages to evoke a sense
As mentioned before, although the advertisement might not have convinced every single
viewer to become a volunteer, it sure did spark their interest. It also challenged many people.
Specifically, social media users. As represented by the repetition of thumbs up, there are millions
of people online who see publications of people in need of urgent care and will simply give the
post a “like”. Unfortunately, this action is not enough. Thus, the image was created. Although it
was firstly presented back in 2013, when flooding, war, and earthquakes invaded the streets of
Singapore, the problem is still relevant today as thousands of individuals still suffer from such
disasters. The brutal truth is that these hundreds of likes, are not buying starving children food or
funding disaster reliefs. Although the organization recognizes that raising awareness is
necessary, they also know that all of that will be done in vain if people simply just raise
awareness and do not commit any real action to help the individuals in distress.
and mocks Facebook users, it is found in Facebook as well as many other social media sites. The
reason behind this is not only to spread awareness of the issue but also to serve as a wake-up call
to many individuals who partake in this act. The text is similar to many other advertisements.
From national organizations to local movements, the text is similar as they all strive to spur
All in all, the “Liking isn’t helping” advertisement is quite effective and does an excellent
job at conveying their message. It wisely uses strong components such as the color scheme, real
life images, the text, and representation to appeal to the audience’s emotions and logic to
challenge activism. In the end, the ad is used as a call to action and offers viewers the
opportunity to step away from their screens and contribute to making a change to the world.