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Seniors: Print Advertising

(1) First, your goal is to evaluate the audience and purpose of a print advertisement. What is the target audience* for the ad? What magazine was it in? Who would the image(s) in the ad appeal to? Beyond selling a product, what else is being sold? What is the message (or implied message) of the ad?

* Target audience = the demographic that the company wants to reach, or that segment of the population (age, sex, race, class) that is most likely to buy the product or to use the service advertised.

(2) Second, your task is to describe the ad's contents. What does it look like? Your reader will not have the ad to reference, only your description, so describe the images, colors and layout. What do the images/colors suggest? If there is text, what does it say? Is there a slogan on the ad (usually next to the logo)? Analyze the use of diction and syntax. Be specific and use quotation marks when appropriate.

(3) Third, your goal is to analyze the effectiveness of the advertisement. Do you believe the ad appeals to its intended audience? Why? How does the ad appeal to ethos, pathos and logos, specifically? How well does the advertisement communicate its message*? What techniques does the ad use to communicate this message?

* Message = If you buy this product, then you will be _______ (usually something abstract).

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