Essay #1: Culture and Consumption.
Choose one of the following:
A) Choose an advertising campaign (not a singular advertisement) for a particular product or service that has print and video ads and do a deep semiotic reading discussing how you think culture is being reflected (and perhaps affected) by the campaign. What cultural myths/beliefs(like conspicuous consumption, the American Dream, individualism and dissent, etc.) is the ad campaign perpetuating or deconstructing? What stereotypes (about race, class, gender, sexual orientation) is the campaign perpetuating or deconstructing? How does it compare to a similar ad campaign from the past?
B) Choose a particular cultural mythology (like conspicuous consumption, the American Dream,
individualism and dissent, etc.) and show how several ads from a variety of industries perpetuate
or deconstruct that myth. Do some perpetuate the myth while others deconstruct it? Are there differences between how they perpetuate or deconstruct the myth? What stereotypes (about race, class, gender, sexual orientation) are the ads perpetuating or deconstructing? How is this
mythology and/or the presentation of this mythology similar or different than from ads of the
past?
The following are just some questions to help you think about the types of abductive arguments you will
make in your essay; you are not meant to follow them like an outline. Some may be more relevant than
others to your particular arguments:
1. How is the advertiser using culture to sell the product? (Think about Robert’s essay about the culture
of conspicuous consumption or Frank’s essay using the culture of dissent/counterculture).
2. How is the product marketing to specific demographics?
3. Are there different types of ads for the same product targeting different demographics?
4. Analyze the ads using the questions on page 30. Are the ads appealing more to logic, emotion, or
credibility?
5. Is the campaign exploiting stereotypes or deconstructing them? (Think of Craig’s essay).
Essay should be 4-6 double-spaced pages in MLA format. You must use at least one quote from
three different readings from this unit.
Should have a title that states topic and hints at thesis.
Introduction should begin with 3-5 sentences introducing the topic of how culture influences and is
influenced by consumer society and marketing techniques as well as introduce the specific campaign
you are going to analyze.
A thesis statement should end the introduction making an analytical argument about that particular
campaign (What do you think the campaign says about our culture? Or how do you think our culture
is impacted by the campaign? Or…?)
Body paragraphs should begin with clearly articulated topic sentences that develop individual points
helping to support your overall thesis.
Evidence should describe the ads and be connected to quotes, paraphrase, and/or summary from
essays in the unit when appropriate.
Conclusion should bring these individual points back to the overall thesis and make it clear why it
is important to understand not only the argument you made for this particular campaign, but how that
helps inform a more conscientious observer of all public discourse.
