Journal article
From a Distance: Marginalization of the Poor in Television Ads for Goodwill Industries
Journal of poverty, v 12(4), pp 411-431
11 Nov 2008
Abstract
An ideological analysis was performed on 20 television advertisements created in 2001 for Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, an affiliate of Goodwill Industries International, one of the nation's most respected charities. Goodwill's advertising strategy suggests that the donation process shown in the ads is how charity should be viewed: a sanitary experience completely removed from those who benefit from the charitable act and thus different from experiences with charities that bring the donor closer to the poor. The ads suggest that the shoppers want the satisfaction, not to mention the congratulations, that comes with the charitable act. The closest the viewer gets to the poor is in the character of the Goodwill driver. While the ads are not necessarily aimed at poor individuals, the driver's presence suggests to them the value of working hard so that they keep their jobs and stay off of welfare. Donors and shoppers in the ads never come in direct contact with him. The poor can be kept at arms length.
Metrics
11 Record Views
5 citations in Scopus
Details
- Title
- From a Distance: Marginalization of the Poor in Television Ads for Goodwill Industries
- Creators
- Ronald Bishop - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Journal of poverty, v 12(4), pp 411-431
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Group
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Communication
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-67549146644
- Other Identifier
- 991019173628004721