Part 1: Persuasive Media Design.
TOTAL
= 65 MARKS
In the next week we will be looking at the ways the media can send us
messages.
We will be learning what makes a persuasive advertisement, methods
of persuasion, and then eventually designing an advertisement to
persuade its viewers.
For Part I you are to Find five advertisements and
critique them by answering the questions below:
Keep in mind that an advertisement is NOT a logo: it is an image that
is promoting either a specific product or a company that may have a
logo within it. Meaning, your advertisement has to be selling
something specific. If you are concerned that your advertisement may
not be appropriate, please see me.
As you can see in the examples below, the good advertisement is on
the left. This is an advertisement because it is promoting a product
and a company. It is trying to sell you the fat free Miracle Whip. The
McDonalds logo on the right is not an ad. It is simply a logo, not using
any ways to promote itself.
Good Advertisement
Not an Advertisement
To find ads:
Go to the Google image search.
Search for specific advertisements, such as "McDonalds ads" or
"Burger King ads", or any other brand names that you can think of.
Click on the pictures you think may be advertisements: look at
them and see if you can easily answer the questions below
before you choose that ad: some ads are more difficult to analyze
than others.
Ideas for advertisements:
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Nike
Reebok
McDonalds
KFC
Powerade
Gatorade
Redbull
Shampoo products
clothing
When searching for advertisements, searching for the particular brand
helps.
The Questions:
First, copy and paste the advertisement into a word document.
Then below, answer the following questions for each advertisement
1. What product is being sold? (1 mark)
2. Who are they targeting and why? (what type of person is this ad
directed towards? Who would find it most appealing?) ( 2 marks)
3. Are the people or images in the advertisement a true
representation of reality and why/why not? In other words, are
these the types of people that use this product? (see example
below) (5 marks)
4. What else can you say about the advertisement and how it is
trying to sell their product? Are they using any other methods in
the advertisement other than the actual product itself to sell the
product to you? What elements and principles of design are at
play and why do you think they made these choices? ( 5 marks)
Example:
Question 1: Softsoap Body Wash
Question 2: This ad is directed towards women, mostly older women
because this product is mostly used by women, and it is generally
older women (not teenagers) that look for products that relax and
calm
Question 3: This is not a true representation of reality because the
body wash does not make your shower fill with flowers. They also
made the woman young and beautiful, which not all users of this body
wash are.
Question 4: They are using a youthful, young woman to sell their
product, as well as a clean, bright bathroom. They use black and white
for everything except the shower and the product, to make your eye
look to the shower itself.