Uppsala-Stanford-Örebro || Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project || Marratech February 11, 2008
Preparation:
Activity: Choose an advertisement to share with your group. To be effective in this activity, the ad
should make an argument about cultural values. Look, for example at the ad below (see Figure 1).
What cultural values does it convey about American identity?
About the American
work ethic, different
professions? About the
standard of beauty?
About race in
America? What is the
argument of the ad?
Does it help you
understand American
cultural values or does
it promote stereotypes?
How does it rely on
doxa, and how does it
use an emotional
appeal? How does it
work to persuade the
reader through the
Figure 1. Ecko Unltd advertisement. “I am the American Dream.” Spring 2004.
logic of the phrase “the
http://www.eckounltd.com/cgi-bin/show_gallery_spring2004_spread.cgi?showimage=1
American dream”?
Finally, how does the company create corporate ethos through presenting a particular version of
American cultural identity?
Now it is your turn. Choose an ad that offers an argument about cultural values. Or, choose an ad
that shows us how identity is constructed in terms of gender/race/community values. You can look
online or scan in a paper ad (from a magazine, newspaper, or cereal box). Or, you can choose a
video ad (limit 1 minute maximum in length). Be prepared to discuss the context in which the ad
was found and how that context provides information on the target audience.
To be able to show the ad on the Marratech whiteboard, please scan it in beforehand and email
yourself the scan (or the video link); for Stanford students, post the ad or link on Coursework under
Materials/Sweden Exchange. In your team, you will analyze the argument of the ad, its cultural
context, and the way we understand people or places through the lens of an ad as visual rhetoric.
Goals: The purpose of this activity is to understand the connection between the arguments made in
ads and the cultural contexts in which they are found. As a team, you will explore and come to
understand different perspectives on “situated texts.” You will also develop your understanding of
rhetoric and wrestle with the problem of diverse cultural perspectives on texts. In addition, by
working as a globally-distributed team to select one ad among many, you will meet the goal of
solving problems across different perspectives and you’ll learn the skills of negotiation and crosscultural communication. Finally, we hope that you enjoy this opportunity to share views with other
students from around the world!
February 11, 2008 Page 1
Uppsala-Stanford-Örebro || Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project || Marratech February 11, 2008
Activity: Rhetorical analysis of ads in globally distributed teams.
While you are waiting: Each person, please open and save your ad image (jpg) to your desktop, or
open your video ad in a new browser (outside Marratech).
I. Time: 18.10–18.20 / 9.10–9.20 10 minutes
Welcome and Model Analysis of Ads.
Location: Connect to Marratech room T217 (http://emeeting.tech.oru.se:8000/index.jsp)
After the welcome, each group open an Internet browser outside Marratech and watch
the Model Analysis video, “Ads as Culturally Situated Texts” available on Youtube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrqW8HmqY5c
II. Time: 18.20-18.50 / 9.20-9.50 30 minutes
Analysis in Globally-Distributed Teams at http://switchboard.stanford.edu
Instructions: Take turns uploading your ads on the Marratech whiteboard (or watching the videos
on a separate web browser). Tech tip: Click on the Whiteboard icon in Marratech. Choose
File/Open and open the jpg that you saved on your desktop. Analyze each ad in turn (rotate across
countries, taking turns). Read over all the questions below and decide as a team which ones you
want to focus on. Make sure to use your time well and discuss all ads within the next 30 minutes.
1. Discuss the purpose of the ad. Is it to buy the product? To promote activism? To convey
information? To make a statement about culture or specific people?
2. Discuss audience. Where did you find the ad, or where was it published? Knowing this, what
can you conclude about audience addressed by the ad? Who might not understand the ad?
3. What is the argument of the ad? Does it work primarily through logic, emotions, or character?
4. What is the cultural context for the ad? What specific visual or rhetorical elements suggest
cultural values? What cultural assumptions are made? (How does doxa work in the ad?)
5. How does the ad reflect cultural or contribute to shaping culture? In what way is the ad’s
argument adapted to the cultural context? In what way does the ad challenge cultural norms?
6. What stereotypes are reinforced or broken by the ad? What new understanding do you have
about the culture represented within the ad and/or the culture producing the ad?
When you are done, select one ad that your team thinks offers the strongest cultural argument –
whether that ad reflects cultural values very specifically, challenges cultural notions, or provides the
most controversial text for rhetorical analysis. Together, as a team, you will prepare a short written
analysis and presentation on this ad to share with the larger group!
February 11, 2008 Page 2
III. Time: 18.50-19.15/ 9.50-10.15 25 minutes
Collaborative decision making and cross-cultural authorship of analysis and speech
Instructions: Collaboratively write on the white board the points of analysis of the ad your team
selects. Next, collaboratively prepare a presentation on your ad to deliver to the other groups.
1. Use the white board and collaboratively write out the points of group analysis.
2. Then, on the white board, collaboratively write a script of 100-150 words (2 mins) to present
the cultural argument of your ad to other groups. Be sure to identify the ad’s purpose,
argument, cultural values, and contribution to our understanding of “situated knowledge.”
Also include your group rationale for this ad as an example of “cross-cultural rhetoric.”
3. Save the whiteboard on your desktop (rename it for your group) so you can open it again
during the presentation and show it as a presentation medium (think about it rhetorically as a
key part of your group’s presentation)
4. Select a new speaker and rehearse once. Time the presentation (2 minutes max)
5. Everyone in the group give feedback on delivery – help improve the speaker’s presentation!
6. Nominate one person as “The Blogger” to compose and post a short (about 150 words)
synthesis of the group’s decision making process and a summary of the ad analysis. That
person should email the content of the whiteboard to him or herself during the
videoconference. After class, the blogger will then revise the email into a short post for the
CCR Blog. Once the post is ready, everyone in the team should post a comment, sharing a
perspective on the activity and perhaps explaining about other ads in the group. Also,
everyone should comment on other groups – perhaps offering different interpretations of
controversial ads? Or sharing a specific cultural perspective on the ad or the activity?
The Blogger, post at http://cgi.stanford.edu/%7Egroup-ccr/mt/mt.cgi
Uppsala Username: ModernRhetoric Password: ccrw2008
Stanford Username: StanfordGlobal
Password: ccrw2008
IV. Time: 19.15-19.30 / 10.15-10.30 15 minutes
Reporting Back through Presentation of Collaborative Learning
Instructions: learn effective communication across cultures and develop active listening expertise
1. In Marratech, switch from your virtual room to T217 (http://emeeting.tech.oru.se:8000/index.jsp)
2. Have your group speaker present your group’s ad and the cultural analysis to the rest of the class.
3. We will go in order, backwards, beginning with Group D and ending with Group A.
Thank you for your participation. Be sure to comment on the blog – share with your group your
reflections on what you learned from this workshop. Comment on the analysis of other groups!
http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/ (sign your name in your posts, please!)
V. Time: 19.30-19:45 / 10.30-10.45 15 minutes -- Debrief at Individual Universities




What new knowledge do you have about your group members as a result of today’s activity?
How do you now understand texts as “situated” or as both located within cultures and as
reflecting/shaping cultures? How did you make your decision on which ad to present?
What can be gained by studying another country's ads and cultural contexts?
What would you like to do next time?
February 11, 2008 Page 3