Advertisements

PHLA ANALYZING ADVERTISEMENTS

Please begin this assignment by carefully reviewing the resources on Propaganda, Fallacies, and Advertising in the Learning Path.
Find an advertisement for a product you use and include the image in your paper. The written portion of your paper is a one to two page analysis of your image. Do not create a list, but use the questions/prompts below to guide the development of your APA formatted analytical essay.
In your introduction mention the product, explain your history with the product and why you like it. Are you brand loyal? Brand loyalty is when you seldom accept alternatives to this product. If you are, explain why.
In your first body paragraph focus on the questions about the appearance of the advertisement
In the second body paragraph explain what you think the central claim of the ad is
In the conclusion offer your discussion about the effectiveness of the advertisement
Please edit carefully BEFORE you post to the submission folder. As always there is an expanded rubric under the tools tab which matches the assignment title

What is the general tone of the advertisement? What mood does it create? What features of the advertisement support this feeling (colors? Images? Camera focus?) ?

What is the design of the advertisement?? How are the basic components or elements arranged? Describe the placement of the brand name, where is the product placed size of the print, size of the images?

What is the relationship between images and written material and what message does this imply?

What is the use of space in the advertisement? Is there a lot of ‘white space” or is it full of graphic and written elements?

What symbols are used in the advertisement? What role do they play in the ad’s impact?

If there are figures (men, women, children, animals) what are they like? What can be said about their facial expressions, poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color, ethnicity, education, occupation, relationships (of one to the other)?

 
If the ad is from a magazine what kind of magazine or site was it found on? What does the setting tell us about the target population for the ad? What is the setting for the advertisement and what significance does this have?
 

What action is taking place in the advertisement and what significance does it have? (This might be described as the ad’s “plot” or the unfolding actions illustrated in the advertisement.)

What theme or themes are represented in the advertisement? What is it about? (The plot of an advertisement may involve a man and a woman drinking but the theme might be refreshment, enjoying nature, elitism, passion,

What about the language used? What techniques are used by the copywriter: humor, sound repetition or other sound patterns, values of life, comparisons, sexual innuendo, and so on?

What is the item being advertised and what role does it play in American culture and society?

What social, political, economic, or cultural attitudes are indirectly implied in the advertisement? An advertisement may be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism, , bandwagon thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness, elitism, and so on.