Description and Analysis Composition
The Task:
1. Choose a full-page (not a spread) advertisement from a fashion / health magazine (e.g., Cosmopolitan, Vogue, GQ, Men's Health), something visually driven, without too much text. It should at least have a human model visible (a face will do) and the trademark for the product (though the product itself need not be visible). The ad should be provocative (though not explicit), controversial, or at least eye-catching. The ad might even tell a story or have a double-meaning.
2. Carefully remove the original ad (no photocopies or printouts) from a magazine
(not the library's). Attach it carefully to your final draft.
3. Write a descriptive analysis of the fashion ad, being sure to address the following
elements (though not necessarily in this order):
Background: Who published the ad? What's its title, if any? In what magazine was the ad published? In what season (date and year) was the ad published?
Visual Elements: How is the ad composed visually? What are the ad's focal points? What is the relationship between the ad's images and text? Is the product visible? Why or why not?
Messages: What are the key messages of the ad? Are the ad's messages logical and believable? Are propaganda techniques, hidden messages, or innuendos used? Overall, are the messages effective? Why or why not?
Audience: Who is the ad's target audience? How does the ad grab and hold its audience's attention? How is the ad marketed toward its audience?
Be sure to include a description of the ad (even though it is attached), but the bulk of the body of the paper should be an analysis of its design and message(s).
Minimum Requirements:
- Typed, double-spaced, with heading
- 500 word minimum
- Must attach: pre-writing, a marked (revised) draft, final draft, original full-page ad
- Works Cited documenting the ad:
Works Cited
Chanel for Women. Advertisement. Seventeen. May 2004: 77.
Due Friday, Jan. 22 at the beginning of the period; no late papers will be accepted. 100 pts.
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