Rhetorical Analysis AssignmentBrainstorming

Begin with your first ad, specifically the older one.

Identify the main purpose of the ad. What was it designed to do?Could the ad have any other purposes? Brainstorm possibilities.

Now, describe the people in the ad. What race/ethnicity could the people be? How old are they? What is their hair style and color? What are they wearing? What is their role (mother, doctor, child, etc.)?

Continue thinking about the people in the ad. What are they doing? What emotions are they expressing? How do you know? What are they looking at/focused on?

Describe the setting of the scene (office, bedroom, beach, etc.)? What objects are in the scene? Describe them. How do the people interact with the objects?

Consider why the creators made the design choices they did. First, why do you think they chose the particular people they did? Consider race, sex, socioeconomic status, age, etc.

Consider the social roles and values the people seem to promote. Are gender roles traditional or nontraditional? What kind of relationships are depicted? What seems to be the attitude of each person to the other?

Describe the setting and the objects in the room. Why do you think the creators chose this particular setting? These particular objects?

What is the relationship between the objects and the people in the ad? Are the people using the objects? What is the people’s attitude toward the objects? Do objects or people dominate the ad?

What do you think MIGHT have been happening before the scene in the ad? What might the figures have been doing? What might have just occurred? Use your imagination, but make sure it makes sense in the context of the ad.

What are the dominant colors in the ad? Why do you think the designers chose these colors? Are they symbolic or do they some other significance?

Consider the design of the words. Do the words or the images dominate the ad? What kind of font is used for the words--something simple or something fancy? What color are the letters?

Consider the words themselves. How would you describe the words--funny, direct, shocking, logical, etc? Could the words have an underlying meaning or a double entendre? Why did the creators choose these words in particular?

Who do you think this ad would appeal to (audience)? Consider age, sex, ethnicity/race, nationality, native language, religious affiliation, and/or values. What about the ad would appeal to this/these audience/audiences?

What is the message (messages) of the ad? If you buy this product, then, what will happen (according to the ad)? It will make you richer/stronger/happier, etc.? How do the creators make this message apparent?

Consider the ethos of the ad. What about the ad makes the product seem credible, trustworthy, or legitimate? Is it the words in the ad, the images, or just the product name itself? How do these things make the product seem credible?

Consider the pathos of the ad. What emotions or feelings does the ad evoke in the viewer? How does it evoke these emotions? Why would the creators want to evoke such emotions in relation to their product?

Consider the logos of the ad. Is there anything logical, technical, or mathematical in the ad? Are statistics used? Are claims used (This product does this and this, etc.)? Are the product specs listed?

What appeal or appeals is the ad using? How do you know it is using this/these appeal/appeals?(Note that just because an ad shows skin or romance does NOT necessarily mean it is using sex appeal.)

Go through slides 2-20 for the second ad.

Now, compare and contrast the different aspects of each ad. Do they have different/similar purposes, messages, audiences, imagery, language, ethos, pathos, logos, or appeals? Have the ads changed much over time or stayed the same? Do the ads reflect the time period and values from when they were created?