ENGL 1101
Janssen
Essay #2: Adbusters—A Critical Analysis
The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a collection of advertisements and to show through
that analysis how the ads attempt to sell more than a mere product. Adbusters is actually an
online magazine dedicated to criticizing advertising abuse in our consumer culture. In your own
way, with the critical tools available to you for this assignment, that’s what I want you to do as
well. You will need at least four advertisements that are related in some significant way: by
subject (cleaning products, alcohol, cars, beauty products, etc.), by an analytical theme (red
herrings, sweeping generalizations, belongingness and love needs, etc.), or by intended audience
(age, gender, publication, etc.). The manner in which you tie your ads together will form your
thesis. This essay will be at least six fully developed paragraphs long (4-5 pages). A rough draft
of your essay is due in class on 6/22, and the final draft is due on 6/27. Here is how I want it to
look:
1st paragraph: Begin with a quotation from one of the sources we have read related to
advertising and consumerism. You will need to find one that relates to your main idea in
either a specific or general way. The purpose of quoting an expert is to add credibility to
your argument. Take time to explain the significance of the quote to your reader and use that
as a transition into your specific topic and your main idea (thesis) about that topic. A thesis
is ONE statement, not just a preview of topic sentences.
Body paragraphs: Begin with a detailed description of each ad. From there, analyze the ad
by using appropriate critical tools. You must be able to apply those tools, in some fashion, to
each ad. Also, strive to apply them in a graceful and elaborate way. It is customary, for
example, to use an indefinite article before a logical fallacy. Correct: There is a non sequitur
in this ad. Wrong: This ad is non sequitur.
Conclusion: Find a unique way to tie everything together and wrap it up. Do NOT simply
repeat the topic sentences of the previous paragraphs. You certainly can and probably should
restate your thesis, but that does not mean copying it word for word. Perhaps another quote
from one of the experts would be appropriate, or some generalizations about your analysis
and its significance; even a personal anecdote could work. Regardless of how you do it, your
conclusion should sum up the findings of your analysis without mere repetition.
How to quote another writer: Introduce the writer and his or her work, quote your passage,
then place the page number of your source in parentheses. It should look something like this:
In “Want-Creation Fuels Americans’ Addictiveness,” Philip Slater writes, “In the 19th
century, morphine addicts (who were largely middle-aged, middle-class women) maintained
their genteel but often heavy addictions quite legally, with the aid of the family doctor and
local druggist” (374).
And a Works Cited page should like this:
Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm, “The Coolhunt.” The World is a Text, 2nd Edition. Jonathan
Silverman and Dean Rader, eds. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2006. 543560.
Lutz, Willian, “Weasel Words” The World is a Text, 2nd Edition. Jonathan
Silverman and Dean Rader, eds. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2006. 569-578.