ELL101

 

Ad Analysis

Gather some advertisements where you believe the advertisements attempt to manipulate the audience into doing something by means of recognizable patterns. The available approaches are found on the handout sheet that goes with this—AND ONLY THERE. Do not make up “approaches”; recognize the known ones. I recognize that most ads use “humor” approaches, but I do not have any interest in “it was funny” or “I like funny” as your explanation. If you are using a humorous ad, think about the irony brought out by the humor, or the exaggeration brought out by the humor and explain THAT. 

The first paragraph should explain what you have under consideration, then tell me what you intend to “prove.” You should have a thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph (in long papers, the thesis can go later). A thesis statement delivers a provocative claim that needs to be proven. It is an opinion, not a fact. Bear in mind the “rhetorical context” in other words how is this designed to motivate a specific audience—who is the audience and how should this work?

The body paragraphs should developed by pursuing individual observations—and the first sentence of the paragraph should do two things. You should tell me what the purpose of the paragraph should explain, and give me sense of why we have gone from the previous paragraph to this one.

When you make a claim, support it with elements from the ad. 

You come up with an organizational concept for your paragraphs—it doesn’t have to be one of those awkward, lockstep three point propositions in the thesis followed by three paragraphs that match, but it does need to be clear how you follow through on your thesis and how your thinking builds along the way to a clever consideration of the advertisers tactics.  

Your task is to describe and then analyze the ad, explaining what audience is anticipated and how the ad is expected to motivate them. You should think of an overall theme or pattern for your paper so that you explain the transition between one part of your analysis and the next part of your analysis.

Don’t forget that YOUR audience is me. Write in active voice.

1)      USE MLA STYLE: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

2)      Double space

3)      Use Times New Roman font, 12 point

4)      You do not need a bibliography

5)      3.5 pages minimum length