9th December 2008

NAME: Thai Thi Huong Giang

Phan Ngoc Anh Thu

STUDENT ID: S3117184

S3160793

GROUP: 2

TUTOR: Mr. Patrick

 On the way to produce our own project, we have a short research about the relevant
materials to our objectives to understand the principles more clearly, get some ideas and learn the
pass mistakes. After few day of searching and analyzing these materials, we found out the most six
interesting pictures about child abuse that are divided into three main topics including
psychological, physical abuse and sexual maltreatment.

These ads are really creative and impressive. Thus they can help us to increase imaginary
about our campaign print ads and understand more about how to apply learned principles to create
visual narratives because they also use metaphor, signs, balance, color and light concepts as we
tend to use in our campaign. Moreover, the messages are conveyed effectively through
combination of image, text and figure that lead to the stronger impacts on viewers’ attention.

Firstly, two below images are the excellent examples about child psychological abuse
issue.

This picture creates a strong impression for viewers with vigorous emotion by an image of
flowing blood on the neck and a paper tape gagging the mouth used as the metaphor principle.
Normally, the image of flowing blood presents for physical pains or hurts. In this case, the
combination of these elements - blood from the mouth points out that the verbal abuse or
psychological abuse can also hurt victims as strong as physical pains. Moreover, the statement
“words like violence” bring out the meaning more clearly. The association of these elements gives
an obvious meaning and impressive image on viewers’ mind.
 Emphasis concept is used to make the meaning stand out by the image of a girl with
sufferings putting on the foreground. In addition, cold colors as black and white, grey and dark
light create the strong feelings of non-safety, sadness, tragedy, being lonely for viewers which can
lead to their higher attentions. Once again, metaphor principle is used effectively with the image of
a girl using hand covering her face and the image of a person is shaped like seeking someone with
the belt on hand. Combining these elements show out how scared, painful and alone she is
suffering and how urgent and necessary she needs a help.
 Secondly, child physical abuse issue is presented clearly and effectively through these two
below images.

This picture is a combination of symbolic (the “STOP” symbol) and the “Punching bag”
which is used as metaphor principle to represents for a violent issue. Adding the image of a boy
could help the viewers to have a clear understanding about what the designer wants to covey to
viewers about stopping child abuse.

This advertisement is done by Unicef Organization to alert people to the misuse of children
labor. This message is conveyed very cleverly and creatively through the basic principle of visual
language. In fact, firstly taking a look at the tag, it could be an iconic sign because viewers can
easily understand the meaning: a little boy is toiling over the sewing work. When it is attached on a
jean, it has a deeper implication to condemn about the exploiting children labor, forcing them to do
the hard manual works in the sweatshops or earning money for families in stead of going to school
and playing with their friends.
 Finally, these below advertisements focus on the state of alarm about child sexual abuse in
many very creative and art ways.

This advertisement has applied the figure - ground principle successfully. When viewers
think the black color is background, we can see two legs stand out in the picture. Conversely, if we
think the white color is background, a hand would be the centre to attract attention of viewers. The
interesting point of this principle is people can combine both images on their mind even which
color to be background, thus the message can have stronger impression and meaning. Moreover,
the words and figures “More than 300,000 children sexually abused in Germany every year” also
support a lot for this advertisement, help viewers to have clearer view about its purpose.
 This advertisement is in a series of the campaign by EuroRSCG Brazil for CERCA
(Children and Adolescents Reference Center) (Glow in the dark ads – Child abuse ads show
hidden images, n.d). Both images have to go along each others to make sense that sometimes you
may not see it but it might be happening. The first image is one kind of symbolic signs, generally,
the viewers just can understand it presents a normal life of these children likes playing or sleeping
on the bed with the quote “Turn off the lights and help (Annie / Peter / Emily) to overcome her/his
fear of the dark”, but they do not understand what the creators want to imply until they see the
second image, which uses fluorescent ink to express the real meaning of this ad when turning off
the light, reveals a cruel truth about child abuse: “Pedophilia. You may not see it, but it might be
happening”.
Another version in this series can be seen at this website:
http://www.trendhunter.com/photos/19150
 Reference List

 ‘Campaign against abuse’, [Image], 2008, Designer – Daily, viewed 4 December 2008,
<http://www.designer-daily.com/campaign-against-abuse-726>.
 ‘Dreamcatchers for abused children’, [Image], (2008), Dreamcatchers for Abused Children
Official Page, viewed 5 December 2008
<http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=415235903>.
 ‘Glow in the dark ads - Child abuse ads show hidden images ’ [Image], n.d, Trend Hunter
Magazine, viewed 3 December 2008.
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adolescentsreferencecenter-ads
 Hartle T., [Image], 2008, ‘Child abuse ad’, Innocent Ones Project, viewed 5 December 2008,
<http://www.innocentones.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/stophit.jpg>.
 ‘Unicef against child labour’, [Image], 2007, Sensibilid- Ad Blogspot, viewed 6 December 2008,
<http://sensibilid-ad.blogspot.com/2007/06/unicef-against-child-labour.html>.