Cordaid Handbag Advertisement

          

         In the closed society we live in today, it is hard to imagine a completely different world outside of our tiny sphere. A world where grocery stores are not a five-minute drive away; where 100 stores are not in on building; or a world where education does not come free. But even though we cannot see it, we are constantly being asked to donate, and donate, and donate to these faraway lands that do not live the lives we live. However, in their advertisement, Cordaid, The Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid, presents an advertisement that does not only make this concept come to life, but makes donating feel like an obligation. Considering this company is based in the Netherlands, the target audience for this campaign was intended for the citizens of the Netherlands. More specifically, the ad is targeted mainly at women, which can be assumed by the use of a female model as well as the handbag, which is most commonly associated with women. The main purpose of the advertisement was to gain donations for Cordaid to go towards their work with those in poverty. The advertisement does this by exaggerating people’s reliance on materialistic fashion items to arouse feelings of guilt that people are spending money on handbags rather than helping others get food.

            In order to convey their purpose, Cordaid uses a comparison in order to evoke guilt in their audience ultimately leading to donation. The image is unlike others with a similar purpose, as it does not use crying children, or people with diseases, or starving people to make their point. Instead, it offers a simple comparison between food and a handbag. It presents facts in the form of numbers and prices making a clear comparison. The large amount of money that is spent on an unnecessary item compared to the small amount of money that it would feed this women for a week is clearly stated. Therefore, the audience sees that it is logical to spend the money on food, as it is a basic physiological need. If the target audience can afford to pay a large amount for an unnecessary item such as a handbag and other fashion items surely they could donate “€1.50” for someone who needs it. Although the advertisement is unlike other ads in this category that show sick and unhappy people, there is still an element of emotion in the face of the model. Her mouth is frowning and her eyes are squinting and the wrinkles above them makes her look stressed and unhappy. Although most charity-related advertisements use solely pathos to make their argument, I believe the logic used in this argument is just as effective.

            Overall, I do believe Cordaid accomplished their purpose by making an advertisement that does not solely use emotion, but logic to make to their point. By comparing a materialistic item against a necessity, people feel guilty that they are wasting money that could be spent feeding someone for a week. Stirring up this feeling of guilt is what makes people feel obligated to donate.