Shockvertising

It's a question that's lingered for quite some time, but never really been properly answered: Is shock advertising effective, or are the audiences too shocked, and busy complaining to take notice of the advert's actual message?

The main companies I can think of that manage to create plenty of enemies and receive masses of complaints are Benetton and Barnardo's. One particular Barnardo's campaign that featured in several newspapers before being banned consisted of a baby injecting itself with heroin. There are some positive reviews however - some think shock is necessary in order to successfully deliver the message:

"Anything that wakes people up to this is for the better. People sit around with their heads in the sand too often" - Roger Alton, The Observer.

The editor of the Guardian claimed that its readers were sophisticated enough to deal with it and understand the message. However this clearly wasn't the case. It's likely that audiences will be more accepting of shock advertising if it for a good cause, but sometimes charities can't even escape the fact that their message won't outweigh the horror that the audiences feel. I think this'd be a great subject to investigate further, as I'd really like to explore whether it is possible to ethically deliver such a shocking message about such horrific topics, or whether shock is the only way forward.

Essential Wear

These are just one of the Freebies given out at this year's Freshers - Miniature shopping bags containing free condoms. The bags have images of men and women on them, bearing bold statements such as 'I've got Chlamydia' and 'I've got Gonorrhoea'. The reverse side of the bags say 'He/She won't be wearing this, so make sure you use a condom'. I think these are really successful, as the message is clearly and bluntly delivered, free condoms are received, and the small bag is really unique and handy. Perfect for the intended target market of students!

Sew what?

Whilst on the subject of window displays, I was pretty impressed with All Saints in Manchester's latest display, consisting of hundreds of old Singer Sewing machines. I was amazed by how many people from all generations had gathered round to look at it (the older ones possibly having used one before!) This is definitely an innovative idea for a window display, and reflects All Saints' authenticity. I'd say it shows off the popularity of the shop, as their clothing ranges aren't even required in the window to interest the customer. Although it did seem that more people were standing outside than in...

Hang about!

At first glance, I barely noticed yet another wacky window display in Harvey Nichols. However, upon closer inspection, I realised that the figures were in fact made up entirely of wooden clothes hangers. I can only imagine how long these displays took to create, but I'd say it was certainly worth the hours of work.

Normally I find myself walking past Harvey Nichols without looking twice, as the extortionate prices are way beyond my budget.

However this time, I needed a closer look. My wallet still wouldn't let me enter the shop, but the thought-provoking window display definitely ticks the box of capturing the shoppers' attention.

Declare yourself!

In 2004, David LaChapelle worked together with 'Declare yourself' to create a campaign aimed at persuading people to register their vote. LaChapelle uses a combination of the 'shock factor' and celebrity appearances to draw attention to the cause. I am really interested in the photographer's use of bold colour, and his general unique, surreal - and often humorous style.

Health Promotion

Involving children is one of the many ways companies attempt to raise awareness of the importance of health. In this case, the Child Health Foundation have emphasised the child's innocence with the aim of persuading parents to stop smoking. However, it's difficult to say whether the type of parents who are likely to subject their children to smoke would take much notice of these advertisements.

Beauty in ugliness

Freelance photographer Namiko Kitaura focuses on visualising the invisible human condition behind appearance. She creates eerie, solemn scenes through use of minimal tones and lack of colour, and portrays the world in a bleak, cold and lonely way - possibly showing it for what it really is.

The images are powerful, and have been described as showing 'passion in depression, comfort in sadness, tranquility in chaos and beauty in ugliness.'

The juxtaposition shown in Kitaura's photographs is very captivating, and have successfully been used within influential advert campaigns, making a huge impression on their viewers.