Writing Task:
Write an essay that analyzes and critiques an advertisement or a series of ads and how they appeal to specific needs and wants in society that can be related to a social problem.
1. For example, you might look at the influence of ads on the construction of gender norms, race and racism, sexism and objectification, body image and self-esteem, economic inequality, etc).
2. Please note: this assignment does not ask you to report on the merits of advertising in our society (in other words, you are not debating if advertising is good/bad). You are working with a specific ad or a specific series of ads, and how they reflect our culture/society. You must not spend your time debating if advertising in general is good or bad-no matter what it is here to stay. We just need to know how it is affecting and reflecting our culture and our attitudes, so we can look at it critically and challenge it if we need to.
Questions to Think About:
1. How do the ads appeal to their target audiences? To what values do the ads appeal? What assumptions or stereotypes do the ads take advantage of? How are the ads constructed to appeal to these values and assumptions? (use of color, document design, copy, layout, subject matter, graphics, and images). What strategies does the advertiser use?
2. What do these ads say about our culture and how we view those products?
a. Also, what do the ads say about how our culture views the target audiences?
b. Issues of gender, race/ethnicity, body images, economic status, social status, beauty, health, self-esteem, sexuality, etc. Do ads influence society, or does society determine the messages in our ads?
Audience: Imagine your audience as somewhat informed but undecided people who might take an opposing viewpoint or might agree with you depending on what they read in your essay.
Essay Support, Analysis, and Detail:
1. Do not simply list the details of the ad, you must always connect the details to your thesis/argument.
2. You must have a clearly articulated thesis that makes an argumentative statement about the underlying message or meaning or idea you draw from the ad.
3. Your argument of the meaning or message of the overall ad should be well-supported by your analysis of the details you select.
4. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific detail in the ad (i.e. color, people, text), or a need the ad appeals to, or an idea conveyed through the ad. Each paragraph must cohere with the rest of the essay in order to effectively prove your thesis.
5. The essay has to have an identifiable position on how effectively the ads connect to their target audiences and what that says about our society/culture. The essay must support that position with detailed analysis.
6. Also, you can't assume that your readers can see the ads, so it's important that your essay has an effective lead-in that introduces the ads to the reader. You need to create a "hook" that contains a description of the ad. (Exercise 1: The Word Picture will help you with this!) You must concisely describe it early in your essay, and then asserta thesis that is an argumentative conclusion about the ad(s).
Requirements: Your essay needs to have a clear purpose (thesis) with ample detail (description) that supports your thesis. It should have an introduction that generates interest, and states the thesis, and conclusion that summarizes the argument and includes any new insights. The paragraphs between should be arranged logically, and one point should lead to the next. Essays should use academic language and be as free of grammar/spelling errors and typos as possible.