Ad Analysis Assignment
Choose one advertisement in any medium (print, web, radio, TV, product placement, etc.) released in the last year, that we have not discussed in class, and analyze it in a short essay using the critical frameworks and concepts from the readings and lectures.
Your analysis should consider aesthetics, target audience, ideological message, and representation in your chosen ad. Some questions to consider: How does it “work” as an advertisement at the level of text, image, and/or sound? Is the product targeted to a particular audience, and how? What “story” is this brand telling? What are the implicit and explicit ideological messages of this ad? How does it construct identity in terms of class, gender, race, sexuality, etc.?
For example, you might choose a TV advertisement for a Dodge Ram truck, and argue that it uses romanticized images of untamed wilderness and manual labour to appeal to traditional notions of rugged working-class masculinity. Try to be precise in your thesis and arguments, engaging with concepts from the readings and pointing out specific aspects of the ad as evidence to support your claims. Sources from outside of the syllabus are not required for this assignment.
