Introduction to Project One

Fun with Ad Analysis

WAYNE STATE AD-Analysis Speed INVENTION

(8 groups of three-ish / 30 minutes-ish)

"The Cannons" of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, memory, delivery

A colorized cut and paste from our project description:

Invention

Consider the rhetorical situation of the ad(s). What is being advertised? Who is making the claim? Who is the target audience? Where and when does the ad appear? Think of the ad as an argument. What claim is it making? Consider the reasons which support that claim: reasons about the nature of the ad's product or service, reasons about those responsible for that product or service, and reasons which appeal to the audience's values, beliefs, or desires. How do you think the ad affects its audience and why? What effects do you think it has been designed to produce? Besides the ad's images and its language, consider the layout of the ad, the colors, the print size and the fonts.

Task: Working together on a word document or a wiki page, groups tackle each of the following 4 sets of question. Working separately, 2 groups on each invention task, the findings/answers will be compared -- and as a whole this will formulate a rough foundation of material for an ad-analysis.

**All groups should start by outlining the rhetorical situation of the ad.

Groups 1) What claim is it making? Consider the reasons which support that claim: reasons about the nature of the ad's product or service, reasons about those responsible for that product or service, and reasons which appeal to the audience's values, beliefs, or desires.

Groups 2) How do you think the ad affects its audience and why? What effects do you think it has been designed to produce? This group will need to start by listing the audio and visual stimuli in the add, providing a close-observation of the ad in order to develop their claims about affect/effect. (link pedantic fact of the day)

Groups 3) What rhetorical tools are being deployed (remember that if you say logos, pathos, or ethos, you need to qualify these terms by saying the ad uses a particular kind of pathos, logos, or ethos...that appeals to a particular kind of audience. Remember that the TRIANGLES ARE TRANS-ACTIONAL. Rhetoric only works when we see it in action, or put it in action.

Groups 4) What is the context for this ad? What other campaign ideas is it related to? What does this context say about the exigencies (new tool!) that might have led to the making of this ad?

Post your answers as comments after 30 minutes. You will need to explain how you came to these conclusions or claims

Next class:

Before next class we need to select an ad from the following six, and form groups of 5 to 6 accordingly.
Visual rhetorical analysis II (next class) will tackle ads that are more rhetorically, culturally, ethically, aesthetically, politically, and/or economically interesting and/or significant. I will also challenge you to take a new tool to your rhetorical analysis -- synechdoche.
In groups of 5 or six (that you form now) you should select one of the following ads, and view it several times.
You also have a series of readings about advertising and a corresponding respond due by Thursday morning that will help you develop a more sophisticated analysis.
On Thursday you will craft 5 minute presentations on the ads your group chooses. You should view the ads in advance and think about them as you read. (You may also think about selecting your own ad or ad campaign for project one soon).

THE ADS

Assignment for Thursday

Due: Fourth Response due before 9AM, Thursday, September 15

Reading Assignments:

Long: Ruth Shalit: Return of the Hidden Persuaders part one and part two
Brief: Susan Kushchinkas: How Advertising Works Our Nerves (In a Good Way)
Brief: Martin Lindstrom: How Subliminal Advertising Works
Challenging: Thomas Frank: Why Johnny Can't Dissent

Sept 13