"Live with it" tackles to challenge societal norms of the acceptability of speeding through the use of a surreal narrative. The narrative of the advert doesn't follow Todorov's narrative structure, as it doesn't contain a new equilibrium. The repetition of the dead boy throughout every shot of the advert reflects back to the advert's main message of having to live with your guilt.
"Live with it" tackles to challenge societal norms of the acceptability of speeding through the use of a surreal narrative. The narrative of the advert doesn't follow Todorov's narrative structure, as it doesn't contain a new equilibrium. The repetition of the dead boy throughout every shot of the advert reflects back to the advert's main message of having to live with your guilt.
"Live with it" tackles to challenge societal norms of the acceptability of speeding through the use of a surreal narrative. The narrative of the advert doesn't follow Todorov's narrative structure, as it doesn't contain a new equilibrium. The repetition of the dead boy throughout every shot of the advert reflects back to the advert's main message of having to live with your guilt.
The advert Live with it tackles to challenge societal norms of the
acceptability of speeding through the use of a surreal narrative, in order to securely implant their message into their audiences minds. However in order to make the narrative more relatable to the real world, the advert also features real moments and events, such as brushing your teeth in the morning and going to work, which is presented in a linear narrative portraying a montage of his average day. The narrative of the advert doesnt follow Todorovs narrative structure, as it doesnt contain a new equilibrium. This connotes how there is never a happy ending from a serious event as speeding, and how the reality of taking someones life will forever be implanted into your guilty mind. In the narrative there is an abundance of a neat closed resolution. This further portrays how there is no ending to such a life changing crime like this. The repetition of the dead boy throughout every shot of the advert reflects back to the adverts main message of having to live with your guilt, thus further implanting the seriousness of this message. In order to entice the audiences attention binary opposites are used. This is presented through the juxtaposition of the alive old man and the dead young boy. The narrative starts with a close up of the man brushing his teeth. This portrays the realist start of the day, thus allowing the audience to relate. The shot then changes to a medium shot where the audience can view his whole bathroom. The bathroom contains lowkey lighting and shadows, which connote his misery and represent the darkness he has enter from this event. The close up allows the audience to see the visual code of his sad lifeless facial expression, which reflects the face of the dead boy. The tightly frame and mis-
en-scene of the bathroom shows the mans clothes and toiletries
placed on the floor and on the window ledge, connoting how the man has been stressed and not the same since the event. Each shot is instantly cut to the next shot in a rapid pace, signifying the instant consequences from this event, as well as how the boy is constantly on his mind. Only diegetic sound and selective sound is used in this advert in order to maintain the realism of the narrative. There is an extreme long shot of the dead boy lying on the ordinary work office floor, while the ordinary workers continue to complete their work in an oblivious state. This indicates how no one else can see the dead boy, as this is a problem that only the man has to live with. However we as the audience are given the ability to see the dead boy, as we are positioned to enter his mind and view what the man is thinking. The next shot is an over the shoulder shot of the boy in a very uncomfortable and painful position. This emphasizes the violent impact from the car on both the boys body and the feelings of all his love ones, as they have to face their lost and tragedy. There is also a violent impact on the mans mind, as he has to suffer with the never-ending image of the boy in a crippled position. The boy is wearing his bright blue school uniform, which stand out against the dull and drab monotone colours. This signifies the boys youth and innocence, encouraging the audience to feel more sympathetic towards the boy. The final shots of the advert contain point of view shots with intense low-key lighting. This allows the camera to focus on the boys face for the audience to study in detail. The boys face is portrayed in a pale white face with a sad facial expression, revealing the lifelessness inside him. The whole narrative contains no dialog as this journey is taken part in the mans thoughts and mind. At the end of the narrative the overt message becomes clear and is the only form of written codes present in the advert. Written codes were kept to a minimal to the end as the written codes could draw attention away from the boy and the man, if the words were presented during the narrative. The message presented at the end: Kill your speed, or live with it, generates fear and an emotional response which in turn creates self perception, making the audience think in the shoes of the man. Therefore further making this advert more relatable. This advert is a public service advert and is created from the charity organization Think, and thus faces no competition from other charities as this was a government-funded project. Although because of the disturbing message and iconography presented in the advert, is had to be shown after the watershed due to regulations and to prevent children from watching the advert. This advert is aimed towards a mass audience, especially towards young adult drivers and experienced drivers as this event could most likely happen to them. Individualist and hedonists are also targeted as these people are more likely to take risks, which could lead them to similar events like the one represented in the advert.