Next, we will be honing our critical thinking skills. Critical thinking involves, well, thinking critically about the world around you. Specifically, we will focus on the world of advertising.
First, it is ubiquitous (everywhere). Second, whether we realize it or not, it affects us all. Certainly, we are all targeted by companies who want us to spend our money and time on them. My goal is to teach you to look more closely, critically, at the thousands of ads you see around you.
It's not that advertising is EVIL or that being targeted is necessarily BAD; it's simply important to realize when and how we are being sold to. In fact, I like the fact that Amazon knows what kind of music and books to recommend; it's kind of freaky, but it's awfully useful. The other extreme, of course, is spam emails and pop-up ads that won't leave you alone.
That said, your first assignment is to "respond" to a print advertisement from a magazine. I asked you to bring mags from home that you read. The reason for this is that YOU are the target audience for the ads in that magazine. It makes sense, right? Just like ads during football games target "dudes that drive trucks and drink beer/energy drinks while wearing Levi's and eating Taco Bell," your magazine targets you.
First, please make a list:
First, it is ubiquitous (everywhere). Second, whether we realize it or not, it affects us all. Certainly, we are all targeted by companies who want us to spend our money and time on them. My goal is to teach you to look more closely, critically, at the thousands of ads you see around you.
It's not that advertising is EVIL or that being targeted is necessarily BAD; it's simply important to realize when and how we are being sold to. In fact, I like the fact that Amazon knows what kind of music and books to recommend; it's kind of freaky, but it's awfully useful. The other extreme, of course, is spam emails and pop-up ads that won't leave you alone.
That said, your first assignment is to "respond" to a print advertisement from a magazine. I asked you to bring mags from home that you read. The reason for this is that YOU are the target audience for the ads in that magazine. It makes sense, right? Just like ads during football games target "dudes that drive trucks and drink beer/energy drinks while wearing Levi's and eating Taco Bell," your magazine targets you.
First, please make a list:
- Select an ad and bring it to class
- Name the magazine it came from
- Identify the product type (i.e. clothing, food)
- Name the brand of the product
- Describe the dominant image(s) -- be specific
- Identify the dominant colors
- What text (if any) is on the page? Slogan?
- What "message" is the ad sending to its "readers"?
- What else is the ad selling (besides the product)?
- How well does your ad reach its intended audience?
- In your response, consider who that audience is, where you found the ad, what images are used, what message is presented, what colors are dominant, and what else is being sold