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Print Advertising

Seniors, I've had to revise your assignment a bit. Apparently, tobacco ads are increasingly hard to come by in magazines these days. Therefore, you can bring ads for any of the major industries -- transportation, food and beverage, beauty and fashion, health, electronics, etc.

The non-honors students are writing a 500-word essay on ONE print ad. Make sure it's FULL PAGE, and bring it to class on Friday. You might want to bring an entire magazine in case the ad you've chosen turns out to be hard to write about.

The AP students are writing a 750-word essay on TWO ads. Pick two ads and bring them to class on Friday. Focus on some connection between your ads -- product, style, theme, methods.

We will break into small groups and ask the following questions:
  • Who is the intended audience for your ad? Think about where you found it.
  • What is the intended purpose, beyond selling a product? In other words, what else are they selling? An idea? A lifestyle? A feeling?
  • What methods do the advertisers use? What makes the ad effective?
  • What specific images are used, and why? Think about the use of color and design, as well.
  • What specific language is used, and why? Think about the ad's diction and syntax.
The essay will be developed and written IN CLASS.

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