In a well-developed and well-supported essay, respond to this writing task:
Choose a company that you find interesting, intriguing, or even one you hate, and research their advertising campaign. An advertising campaign is essentially all the ads a company releases in an attempt to captivate consumers. The ads you research should be: from the same company, within the last decade, and should include one print and one commercial ad. In a 4-page essay, analyze the effectiveness of this company’s campaign using the critical thinking concepts we have learned so far.
Tips:
Effective means successful. First ask yourself whether or not the argument in the ads work. For example, if the purpose of the ad is to convince consumers to buy products and the method used is a particular appeal you observed in the ad, then is the overall argument in each ad successful? Why or why not? Answering this question can then allow you to explore the positive or negative implications and effects of the ads you chose. Also, keep in mind that a simple answer like “the ads are a positive influence” or “the ads are a negative influence” is a weak argument at this level. I am looking for your awareness of connections, implications, ironies, truths, falsehoods, and so on. I am looking for a depth in your argument and the use of your strong logical skills.
Consult Chapter 6 on Rhetorical Analysis closely when analyzing these ads. You may want to observe the successful or weak use of logos, pathos, or ethos (Chapters 2-4), the style, as well as the appeals you find in these ads that make them either effective or weak.
Sample Solution
