Elizabeth Gong Eyg5140 Section 019 Lending a hand, Saving a life Speak up. Reach out.

These are simple yet powerful words that are sprawled across the bottom of this suicide prevention advertisement. This is the power of contributing that helping hand and offering that support and encouragement to someone who needs it most. This ad is powerful, captivating, and emotional in its succinct but meaningful message especially since suicide has developed into such a solemn and urgent issue in recent generations. In response to these concerns, this ad was created to embrace the need for people to offer support and comfort for others that are in need of someone to guide them away from the fate of suicide. Suicide is viewed as a depressing, unresolved concern that is becoming gradually more problematic as ads like these try to raise awareness of this terrible disease. As a result, this ad begs and pleads the audience to reach out and save a life because every life is precious, and everyone can do something to save a life. The colors of the ad create a solemn and depressing ambiance that surrounds the issue of suicide. The colors are dark, dingy, and gloomy, emanating a dispiriting and serious vibe at first glance. Notice also that there are no vivid or bright colors in the ad that draw the audiences attention to any particular aspect of the ad. Instead, the entire message of the ad is stated clearly and to the point. Blue, gray, and white are the only colors that are used in the ad, but the blue in the background is murky and faded signifying the feeling of being beaten and defeated, the typical signs of depression. The color, position, and size of the words in this poster all aid in characterizing the importance of the concerns that need to be resolved and the actions that need

to be fulfilled. There are only eight words on the entire ad: Suicide, 100% preventable, speak out, and reach out. The word Suicide is white and bolded across the top, right corner and surrounded by brackets, conveying a sense of urgency that suicide prevention needs to occur immediately because every second that is wasted, a life can be wasted. And right below the word Suicide, there is the phrase 100% preventable, also emphasizing that everyone can save a life as long as they make the effort because there is no time to question or think of the possible outcomes but to act now. But in contrast to that, Reach Out is in the opposite corner but coated in gray, and despite the fact the phrase is smaller than the word Suicide, it is noticeably larger than Speak Out. This symbolizes that speaking out will make a difference, but reaching out may save a life. The hands in the ad represent the need for a support group and a unifying front for the suffering. In the image, the smaller hand is reaching for the larger hand, trying to grasp onto the larger hand to save herself or himself. This symbolizes the idea of allegiance, inclusion, and acceptance and promotes the idea that someone is always there to help and is willing to give a helping hand when one needs that the most. Furthermore, the two hands are extending to reach each other, but their fingers barely making contact with each other. However, because of the vagueness of the depiction, it could be interpreted in one of two ways: one hand letting go of the other or one hand reaching to grasp the other hand. The ad asks you a rather simple, but straightforward question: will you be the one to reach out and speak out to help someone in need, or will you let that person go? One hand is also noticeably larger than the other hand, which is most likely the hand of an adult who will be able to lead the person in question away from thoughts of potential suicide. The palm of the larger hand is slightly wrinkled with age, a typical sign of wisdom and sagacity.

This suggests that the older and wiser person fathoms the values of life more than a typical teenager would, and they are living proof that life is worth living. Likewise, the palm of the larger hand is open, offering that support and comfort that the person in question needs. The hand is reassuringly inviting this person to take the hand and so that the person in question can be guided away from deliberating suicide as the solution to his or her problems. In contrast to the larger hand, the smaller hand is clean and pure, implying a sense of innocence and naivet. These are the people who need and yearn for a guiding figure who has the experience and maturity that will help them through these tough times. This suicide ad tries to appeal to an audience who may know of someone or has heard of someone who has committed suicide. Someone who has experienced the heartbreak and pain associated with the loss of a loved one can empathize with this ad the most. Since they have experience this firsthand, they are more willing to reach out to others to save them from the same fate they have experienced. Notice that this ad does not contain a suicide hotline number or a suicide prevention website link because it is not encouraging the audience to seek professional help for the person in need. Most likely, the person in question does not want their problem to appear bigger and more complex than it appears. All these people want is someone who will give them love and consolation, not professional counselors and doctors who may not fully comprehend their dilemma or situation. This is the opportune time to reach out a hand to a suffering friend and let him or her realize that there will always be someone there and that someone needs him or her in his or her life. Suicide is an extremely sensitive topic because it affects everyone one way or another whether personally or not. This ad uses the idea of strong, but silent pathos of losing someone important is powerful enough to convince the audience to take action.

In society, many view suicide as the disheartening fate for those who feel like they have no purpose in life, so this ad encourages the audience to take a stand and make a difference before the unwanted occurs. Regrettably, people who suspect suicide may be imminent may never actually take action because they either believe that they are either meddling too much into the situation or that they are probably overthinking the situation and making a bigger deal out of the situation than it actually is. Even though the word now isnt physically present on the ad, it is hidden below the context of the ad. The ad indirectly emphasizes that it is essential to take action now because there is no time or room for hesitation for urgent situations like these. It is difficult for many of these people to reach out and plead for assistance and support because they do not want to appear weak and helpless in front of others and would much rather suffer alone. So it is the audiences responsibility to take that first step of reaching out to these struggling people. This ad attempts to persuade us to reach out and help others around us that might be potentially suicidal or suffering from depression. It also tries to appeal to the fact that each and every single one of us have all known or heard of someone who has committed suicide, and as members of our community, it is our duty and responsibility to try and take someones hand and lead them through difficult and demanding times. This ad encourages us to Speak Up and Reach Out. The emphasis on 100% preventable reinforces the idea that to Reach Out and Speak Out can and will make a difference because no one deserves to end his or her life as long as someone is there to support him or her and hold his or her hands through tough times. So as member of the community, reach out a hand, and save a life because there is a 100% chance that you will.

Works Cited Psychiatrist Blogspot. Advertisement. Shrink Wrap. N.p., Sept.-Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.