ANALYZING AN AD OR PSA
CHOOSING AN AD OR PSA: Choose an ad or a Public Service Announcement you want to explore and analyze. don’t choose a “spoof” or “fake” ad—make sure the ad is really trying to sell a product or change our minds about something. It’s helpful to find an ad you can watch over and over, maybe on You Tube. You may also choose a series of ads for the same product, if you like.
For example, the “Mayhem” spots for All State or the Geico ads would be a good example of a series of ads. We’ll talk about how to do this in the whole class discussion this week.
Describe it as fully as you can, using all sensory details which are relevant. In other words, include audio description if the message uses audio messages or music or background noise. Include as much specific visual description as possible. Make your description vivid enough that your audience can picture this message in their minds. You may do this at the opening of your paper or blend it in throughout.
