Advertising
Advertisers are seeking to sell products and behaviors to particular groups (demographics) like 18-24 males or 18-34 females or the very coveted 25-54 adults. They market these products and behaviors to the demo in specific ways.
For this essay, you will be analyzing an advertisement and pulling it apart to see just what demo the ads are targeting and the devices the advertisers are using to create a message for this demo. You will be scrutinizing everything in the ad, from the colors, the models, the text, the product placement, what is shown, what is not shown: look at all of these elements to determine what the demo is, what action the advertiser is seeking and how those devices will work to get the demo to act.
Beyond just running down the list of what the ad shows or cataloguing the elements, look at the implications of the ad itself. What is it promoting beyond the product? Is it lifestyle, culture change, avarice (greed), or maybe it’s even promoting the greater good. Look at what the ad is promoting and how it is being promoted. What are the dangers if there are any? What are the benefits, if you note them?
