This assignment requires that you perform a close reading of an advertisement in order to examine and explain the advertiser’s techniques and why they were chosen/ how they function in selling a product. You will also use primary and secondary research to strengthen your analysis. A close reading is an analysis that uses textual evidence to make an argument.
A close reading not only explains the major features Of the text, but also how and why they relate to a particular larger point. Your Task (SOLOS 1-5) Choose one advertisement from a printed magazine or an online source. Come up with an argumentative thesis with a “so what” about the advertisers techniques and why they were chosen/ how they function in selling a product. Using evidence from the ad and additional primary and/or secondary research, support your argument. Attach your advertisement (either the link or the printed ad) to your employed essay.
Helpful Hints 1. A good thesis will not merely describe the ad, but will say something about why the marketers have constructed the ad this way and what this construction says about a larger issue. 2. Strong analysis answers why and how particular choices function in the ad. For example: How does the color scheme suggest a gendered audience? Why target women with this product? 3. A strong essay will use statistics and other data to argue for why the advertisers have chosen to design the advertisement this way.