1. UNIT #2 ESSAY
ADVERTISEMENT
ANALYSIS
English 111
Instructor: Andrea Anderson

2. Advertisements are EVERYWHERE…
Magazines and Newspapers

3. Advertisements are EVERYWHERE…
Television and Internet

4. Start thinking about
ADVERTISING


ADVERTISING is a form of communication
between the advertiser and an audience (a
viewer, listener, or reader)
ADVERTISING is used to persuade an
audience to take some action with respect to a
product, an idea, a cause, or a service.

5. Why look at advertising???

In 2010, a LOT of money was
spent on advertising.
 Approximately
$300 BILLION in the
United States
 Approximately $500 BILLION
Worldwide

We would not spend this
if it wasn’t effective!

6. Start thinking about
ADVERTISING
Ads for a CAUSE
Ads for a PRODUCT

7. Start thinking about
ADVERTISING
Ads for a CAUSE
Ads for a PRODUCT

8. Start thinking about
ADVERTISING
Ads for a CAUSE
Ads for a PRODUCT

9. Start thinking about
ADVERTISING
Ads for a CAUSE
Ads for a PRODUCT

10. Advertisement Analysis: Preparation
Look at the Assignment Sheet in the Unit #2 Folder in
Blackboard.

According to The Norton Field
Guide to Writing, an analysis
paper is a genre of writing
that examines a text both for
what it says and how it does
so in order to demonstrate
both how, and how well, the
text achieves it effects.

Get Started:
 Read Chapter 8 –
Analyzing a Text
 Read Chapter 32 –
Analyzing Causes and
Effects

11. Advertisement Analysis: Preparation
Look at the Assignment Sheet in the Essay #2 Folder on
Blackboard.

12. Understanding the Assignment
All academic
essays MUST
have:
•
Introduction
Paragraph
with a
Thesis
Statement
•
Body
Paragraphs
•
Conclusion
Paragraph

Per the assignment sheet, your essay
MUST contain the following features in the
body paragraphs:



Company Background Information
Advertisement Placement and Placement
Analysis
Analysis of the various components of the ad
and what effects the components achieve.

What are possible components:
 Pictures, Text, Layout, Coloring,
themes, etc.

13. Introduction Paragraph

In your introduction paragraph, you should:
 #1
- Use a HOOK sentence to capture the
reader’s attention
 #2 – Introduce your reader to your topic
 #3 - State your thesis

14. Company Background
Information

Body Paragraph #1 – Be sure to include:
 What
product the company produces or what idea
the company/organization is promoting
 A brief company history
 Any important company accolades

15. Advertisement Placement and
Placement Analysis

Body Paragraph #2 – Be sure to include:
 Where
the ad was found:
 Magazine


or newspaper
What type of magazine or newspaper is it?
Who does the magazine or newspaper appeal to?
 Cover,
centerfold, etc.
 Ad size (small or large)
 Why
is the ad placement significant???

16. Analysis Paragraphs

Body Paragraph #3
 Choose
ONE aspect of the ad to
analyze
 For
example: pictures, text, layout,
themes, messages, OR color scheme

Body Paragraph #4
 Choose
another aspect of the ad to
analyze

Body Paragraph #5
 Choose
analyze
a third aspect of the ad to

17. Analysis Paragraphs

An analysis is NOT a description


DESCRIPTION – statement of fact
 When you describe, you paint a picture in words of what is going on in the ad.
 Example – The ad says, “You wouldn’t wear your dog…”
ANALYSIS – interpretation of fact
 When you analyze the ad, you examine it closely to identify
causes, key factors, and possible results
 Example – This ad causes people to consider giving up
wearing fur by appealing to the audience’s emotions. The
ad does this by making the connection between beloved
furry pets and other animals used for fur clothing. A person
who loves his pet would be horrified at the thought of
skinning it so that he could have a fur coat. Perhaps the
next time he went shopping for a fur coat, the feel of the
furry coat would remind him of his own pet and he would

18.  Did you:
▫ Read the Unit #2 Assignment Sheet
▫ Read Chapters 8 and 32 in The Norton Field Guide to Writing
Now it is time to GET STARTED
WITH THE WRITING PROCESS
Writing Process Step #1

Pre-Writing
 Choose an
Advertisement
 Brainstorm/Analyze
 Write Thesis Statement
 Research
 Outline
Later Writing Process
Steps to Consider




Write
Revise
Edit
Publish

19. Choose an Advertisement
Set yourself
up for
success:
Find an
advertisement
that
captivates
your attention
or creates a
lasting
impression!

You are looking for a PRINT
advertisement. Look in:
 Magazines
 Newspapers

You must know its original
placement. Otherwise you won’t be
able to effectively write body
paragraph #2.

20. Just a Reminder…
DUE: Saturday, October 26, 11:59 pm
ASSIGNMENT: Submit Your Topic
You need to create a post in Unit #2 Topic
Discussion that tells me and your classmates
what advertisement you have chosen, why you
chose it, and what you will analyze in your
writing.
This is ESSENTIAL in getting started on a good
note. I will provide you with prompt feedback
regarding your topics.

21. Brainstorm and Analyze

What is the general ambience of the advertisement? What mood does it create? How does it do this?

What is the design of the advertisement? How are the basic components or elements arranged?

What is the relationship between pictorial elements and written material and what does this tell us?
What is the use of space in the advertisement? Is there a lot of 'white space" or is it full of graphic and
written elements?

Thoroughly
answer each
question to
gain a further
understanding
of your
advertisement.
What is the item being advertised and what role does it play in American culture and society?

Ask yourself
these
questions.

What signs and symbols do we find? What role do they play in the ad's impact?

If there are figures (men, women, children, animals) what are they like? What can be said about their
facial expressions, poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color, ethnicity, education, occupation, relationships?

What does the background tell us? Where is the advertisement taking place and what significance does
this background have?

What action is taking place in the advertisement and what significance does it have? (This might be
described as the ad's "plot.")

What theme or themes do we find in the advertisement? What is it about? (The plot of an advertisement
may involve a man and a woman drinking but the theme might be jealousy, ambition, passion, etc.)

What about the language used? Does it essentially provide information or does it try to generate some
kind of emotional response? Or both? What techniques are used by the copywriter: humor, alliteration,
definitions" of life, comparisons, sexual innuendo, and so on?

What typefaces are used and what impressions do they convey?

What about aesthetic decisions? If the advertisement is a photograph, what kind of a shot is it? What
significance do long shots, medium shots, close-up shots have? What about the lighting, color, angle?

What sociological, political, economic or cultural attitudes are indirectly reflected in the advertisement? An
advertisement may be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism,
alienation, stereotyped thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness, elitism, and so on.

22. Write your Thesis Statement
THESIS
STATEMENT:

Determine the purpose of the ad


Identifies the topic
of your essay and
the claim you are
making.


Determine how the ad achieves its purpose


Tells the reader
what the essay is
going to be about.


Example #1 - To induce the viewer to purchase a product
Example #2 - To induce the viewer to adopt an idea about an issue
Example #3 - To induce the viewer to change a behavior
Does it appeal to the viewer’s emotions?
Does it appeal to the viewer’s values?
Does it appeal to the viewer’s sense of humor?
What components of the ad help it to achieve its purpose?




Text
Pictures
Layout/Design
Themes
EXAMPLE: This ad aims to prevent methamphetamine use by
appealing to the viewer’s emotions through disturbing images
and blunt text about the realities of meth addiction.

23. Another Thesis Statement
Example
Another
advertisement

What message does the ad convey?

What components of the ad contribute
to this message?
Text
 Pictures
 Layout/Design
 Themes

EXAMPLE: The text and imagery of the
Jose Cuervo advertisement projects the
skewed message that dreams are made
possible through drinking alcohol.

24. Outline –
See sample outline in Unit #2 Folder
Why outline?
Get
organized
BEFORE
you start
writing!
An outline is
your
blueprint for
your essay.

25. Writing

Now it’s time to sit down and write.
 Be
SURE you have:





Received feedback from the instructor on your
advertisement and thesis statement
Done your research
Brainstormed and/or outlined your paper
Reviewed the Unit #2 Assignment Sheet and Timeline
Asked for clarification on any questions

26. Peer Review
The Peer Review will begin Sunday, November 3, and end on
Saturday, November 9.
 I will assign you peer review partners and will create a peer review
group space on Blackboard for you and your partners. Your group
space allows you to share files back and forth.
TIMELINE:
 Sunday, November 3: Submit your finished draft to your group
 Monday, November 4: I will assign you peer review partners
 November 4 – 9: Read your partner’s paper, complete the peer review
questionnaire, and offer advice for improvement.
 Saturday, November 9: Return the completed peer review
questionnaires to your partners (and me)!
More specific directions for this assignment are available on
Blackboard!


27. Revising and Editing


Revise
 Look at the advise that your classmates gave you during the
peer review. Make the changes that you feel will improve
your paper.
 Two pieces of ADVICE:
 #1: Give yourself plenty of time to revise. If you can, get
away from your writing for a little while. When you return
refreshed, you will be more likely to catch errors and
digressions.
 #2: Remember to make sure that this is a reader-centered
paper not a writer-centered paper. In other words, detach
yourself from your paper and revise it to assure that
everything is clear and belongs on the page. Just because
you spent time writing it, doesn’t mean it belongs in your
final draft. If it doesn’t, erase it.
Edit
 Check your paper for proper grammar, punctuation, and

28. Use your Resources…OWL @ KPC
OWL is the online
writing lab at KPC.
You can submit your
paper to the OWL and
get feedback from
KPC faculty. You let
them know
specifically what you
would like help with!
http://owl.kpc.alaska.e
du

29. Publishing


For the purposes of this class, publishing means
turning the final draft of your paper in for grading!
FINAL DRAFT DUE: by Saturday, November 16
@ 11:59 p.m.

Be sure to turn it in on time, otherwise it will be
considered LATE. Late papers are penalized by
deducting 20% of the possible points before grading.

YOU WILL SUBMIT YOUR FINAL DRAFT IN
BLACKBOARD. There will be a place for you
to upload your papers in the Essay #2 Folder.

The final draft is worth 125 points!

30. Revising Your Graded Paper for an
Improved Grade
A note about revision…you are allowed to
revise the first three papers if you are interested in
improving your grade. In addition to making
significant changes to improve the paper, you are
also responsible for writing an in-depth explanation
of the changes you made, why you made them,
and how the changes improve your paper.
This is a time consuming process. In other
words, it is often easier and more time
efficient to turn in your best possible
work the first time.

31. LECTURE: THE END
Unit #2 Essay:
Advertisement
Analysis
If you have any questions
regarding this assignment,
please don’t hesitate to
email me. Be sure that you
detail exactly what it is that
you don’t understand or
would like help with.
 If necessary, we can set up
an Elive! Session to
discuss your questions.
amanderson10@kpc.alaska.e
du
