Swim Between The Red And Yellow Flags example essay topic

As many of you would know, Australian beaches are a popular attraction for tourists when they come to stay in our country. For this specific reason I think it is vital that they are taught to be more cautious of the water and are more alert to the dangers that can be associated with swimming at beaches that are not patrolled. It is a fact that international tourists account for over 35% of drownings in Australia. Therefore the main focus of the campaign is to educate tourists that the only place to swim when visiting the coast is between the red and yellow flags. It is therefore obvious that my focus demographic for this campaign is tourists visiting Australia. My campaign primarily operates on discourses of personal health, safety and tourism.

It contests however, the perception that it is alright to swim anywhere at anytime. I am mobilising this through a sixty second commercial and print advertisements. As many tourists do not speak much English it is vital that I use symbolism and colour to attract the audience's attention, rather than using speech and text that may only confuse the viewer. My aim is to capture attention and reposition the viewer to understand the importance of swimming in patrolled areas whilst staying in Australia. The over-riding slogan for the campaign is "Stay safe inside the flags". This becomes evident through my sixty- second commercial and is captured in my print advertisements.

The advertisement commences with a long shot of a wooden beach house on a hill over-looking a beach on the Sunshine Coast. The camera tracks to a close-up of the window, changing to a subjective shot through what is a bedroom window to see a girl of about 18 asleep in a bed. Whilst this is happening faint music can be heard in the distance, this awakens the girl and there is an extreme close-up of her feet as she gets out of bed, attention is drawn to her toe nails that are painted red and yellow. The camera then tracks with the girl as she opens the curtains and looks down to the beach below to see where the music is coming from.

Another subjective shot is used and viewer sees the people starting to congregate on the beach all dressed in red and yellow dancing and having fun. The commercial then tracks with the girl as she runs excitedly down the stairs wearing a red bikini top, yellow bloomers and big sunglasses. The commercial features fashions like that of the seventies, with interesting outfits that are all yellow and red with big sunglasses or hats. The next thing the viewer experiences is the girl running down the main street to the beach, past cafes, shops and people. People start waving to the girl and stop what they are doing, some are at cafes drinking coffee, others shopping but all stop immediately as the camera cuts to a long shot of people following behind her happily down to the beach. As this happens the music gets louder and the song is now audible as they get closer to the beach and it is 'Move Your Feet' by Junior Senior.

The camera goes to a close up of all the people being given red and yellow ice-creams and drinks as they move onto the beach. There is now a long shot of the beach and everyone between the red and yellow flags are dancing, chatting, swimming, playing in the sand and evidently having fun. The camera cuts to people out in the surf swimming between the flags and then there is a close-up tracking shot of a surfer. The audience's attention is then returned to the beach and there is a general long-shot of everyone as the camera zooms in on a young boy in yellow board shorts holding a red ice cream and there is an extreme close up of the it as it drips in slow motion.

The music stops and all that can be heard is the echo of loud drips. The camera then tracks, in slow motion, as all the people between the flags turn their heads in slow motion with expressions of awe and horror on their face as they all gasp in unison. There is then a subjective shot and the viewer witnesses what they are all shocked about - one man swimming outside the flags. The camera tracks with him as he sheepishly comes out of the water and walks towards everyone between the flags. There is dead silence and stillness as they come face to face. Someone in red and yellow hands the man a yellow t-shirt, symbolizing a 'red and yellow make over' and suddenly everyone cheers and the music starts again, everyone is happy now he is inside the flags.

To finish the commercial there is a close up of the man as he puts two strips of red and yellow zinc on his cheeks, this then turns into an extreme close-up that dissolves into the red and yellow patrol flags on the beach and the campaign slogan appears on the screen - "". I propose that this commercial be shown on international flights to Australia, as well as domestic flights. I also believe the commercial would be effective shown on overseas television stations, particularly during travel shows, like our equivalent to 'Getaway' or the 'Great Outdoors'. As for the print advertisements, rather than have one particular image I think it would be more effective to take different stills from the advertisement. Stills of everyone staring at awe at the person outside the flags, and the ice block dripping with the beach scene behind as well as everyone having fun would be effective. This way it adds more interest to the campaign, as it would act as a type of storyline with different stills used.

I propose that the advertisements be printed in popular magazines in overseas countries as well as in-flight magazines, with the caption "When visiting Oz don't be an outside, swim between the red and yellow flags". Then down the bottom would be the slogan: "Stay safe inside the flags". Rather than only being printed in magazines I suggest that the majority of print advertisements be done in the form of free post cards that would be distributed in stores and at travel agents. Bookstores could also put slip them inside publications like 'Lonely Planet' Guides to Australia.

The idea of a postcard is almost like a novelty and they could be collected to build up a story board of the actual commercial whilst educating tourists on the importance of beach safety. The campaign has the invited reading that it is "cool", "safe" and the "Australian thing to do" to swim in patrolled areas when visiting the coast. These readings are achieved through psychological and persuasive strategies used to appeal to the tourists. Everyone knows that when you visit another country, you want to submerge yourself in their culture during your stay, live the way they do. For this reason, I position tourists to see that swimming between the flags is the Australian thing to do, and if you don't then you are an outsider. I used bright colour and music during the commercial to capture the attention of the viewer, and encourage a sense of happiness whilst watching the people enjoying themselves between the flags.

I thought it would be more effective using these strategies rather than real shock tactics, so that tourists are not too frightened to even swim in the water at all. I believe the campaign will succeed with my focus demographic as it appeals to a wide age group, and promotes the feeling of being safe if you are between the flags. The campaign is eye catching which is vital for sending such an important message to visitors to Australia plus the slogan also reinforces the safety between the flags. It also gives a taste of what the Australian coastline is like, which also helps to boost tourism.

The audience is not flooded with too much text or dialogue but a short slogan and the repetition of the colours red and yellow that feature throughout the commercial and in the print advertisements. Overall I believe this would be a successful advertising campaign to educate tourists on the importance of swimming in patrolled areas when visiting Australia.