Question: Very simple for this week: Locate two valid online sources, read them, and post an "annotation" for each.
An annotation consists of the citation (i.e. how the source would be documented on an MLA works cited page), one
paragraph summarizing the source (if it's a research study you need to show how the authors got their results, what
their results were, and why they did the study), and a second paragraph explaining how you will use the source in
your Rhetorical Analysis Essay.
Answer:
Calvert, S. "Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing." futureofchildren.org, Spring 2008, Vol. 18, No. 1.
(pp. 205-225). Web. 25 Oct. 2012. http://futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/docs/18_01_09.pdf.
Calvert's paper addresses the transformation undergone in the marketing industry as a direct result of children's
influence over family purchases and a significant increase in their discretionary income. Also discussed is the rapid
rise in hundreds of cable channels and internet sources, which have made it possible for marketers to flood the
market with customized messages to this increasingly lucrative market. Calvert explains various statistics related to
children's advertising and goes into some depth about stealth marketing techniques developed specifically for the
youth market, such as repetition, gender, branded characters, and interesting production features. From there, she
describes the various stages of cognitive development in children and how messages from advertisers are processed
contingent on their age.
This is a main source in my rhetorical analysis essay as it relates to a Pillow Pet's commercial on YouTube. I will
leverage what I learned in Calvert's paper to explain the various marketing techniques, including pathos, logos and
ethos that were utilized and in producing this commercial for children of various ages. In addition, I will take a
similar look at the same strategies and marketing techniques used to target parents and grandparents. An in-depth
discussion will relate to the issue of gender and how the marketers have clearly done their research, as evidenced in
the Pillow Pet's commercial that hits all the right notes.
Shah, A. "Children as Consumers."globalissues.org. 21 Nov. 2010. Web 25 Oct. 2012.
http://www.globalissues.org/print/article/237.
Shah's paper addresses the types of marketing targeted at children and their effects. Arguments include whether the
advertising industry can be trusted to regulate itself and whether a junk food tax would help reduce the childhood
obesity epidemic or if it makes more sense to focus our attention to promoting exercise and individual responsibility.
Another controversial area discussed is parental versus corporate influence, and how criticism directed at parents
for irresponsible behavior is veritable, exaggerated, or perhaps a little of both. The paper concludes with a discussion
on commercialization of childhood itself.
Shah's paper is the other main source in my rhetorical analysis essay on the effectiveness of the Pillow Pet
advertisement. I will leverage Shah's paper to round out my argument that the advertising industry is cashing in on
our children by taking advantage of challenges we face as a society. Some of the areas discussed will be industry
self-regulation, our over-commercialized consumerism, and how today's children are all too often left to their own
devices.