Category: Essay

The format, referencing, methods of citation, etc used in written work
submitted for assessment should comply with the Style Guide adopted for use in
the Canberra Law Review or similar. It is expected that, unless explicitly stated
otherwise, each assignment is totally the work of the individual submitting it and
is produced specifically for this unit (see policy on plagiarism at 6f below). Please

Paper #2: Advertisement Analysis

Length: no less than 3 pages typed, double-spaced, one inch margins.

Citations: MLA in-text citation method – a Works Cited page must be included.

Sources: One – the ad that you are critiquing. Please include it with your final draft.

Draft of Paper: Due Thursday, October 2nd

Revised Final Draft: Due Thursday, October 9th

, in class. Please bring a typed, double-spaced copy to peer

, in class.

Write an analysis of a print ad of your own choosing (this means that the ad must be from a real magazine

or newspaper, and not from an internet archive).

REMEMBER: Analysis does not simply mean disagreeing with a text, or poking an advertisement’s pitch

full of holes. Instead, analysis in the fullest sense of the word means developing your own ideas regarding

the text or image in front of you. In your analysis, you may wish to expand on some especially interesting

element of your source’s argument, provide an important qualification, point out a blindness, suggest a

different interpretation. It is not merely a cable-news-interview engagement with the source where you

decide to totally agree or disagree with the positions that it presents. The worst thing you can do here is

simply restate the pitch of the ad (for example, “Nike effectively convinces audiences that they can ‘Be like

Mike’ by purchasing Air Jordans”). Make the essay your own; uncover and elaborate on ideas that seem

In this paper, I am especially looking for:

– A strong overall argument, expressed in your thesis statement.

– Original and imaginative interpretation.

– Smooth transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

– Correct use of pronouns (keep in mind that brand names and companies take singular pronouns).

– No use of the word “you,” unless it is part of a quote.

Below are more detailed instructions:

– Include the original ad, or a high-quality color printout of the ad, in the folder, along with rough

– Begin your essay with a paragraph describing (i.e. summarizing) the ad and what is going on in

it. What is the product being sold? What is the idea being sold? How does the ad sell this product/

– In the second paragraph (the paragraph following the summary), begin to develop your

interpretation of the ad. Introduce the main points that you want to cover, and then (preferably the

last sentence of this paragraph) give a thesis statement that encapsulates the core of what you are

– Make sure you identify the ad’s target audience and how it seeks to appeal to this audience.

– Your main goal should not be to gauge how effective or ineffective the ad is. Focus instead on

what assumptions the ad is making both about its target audience and about the culture we live in.

What bigger issues or ideas is it reflecting?

– Don’t be afraid to bullsh** a little. Think FOAM. Be adventurous in your interpretations – you are

probably more right than you think.