Desmond Foucha

Writing Assignment #2Analysis of an advertisement for your next essay, I ask that you analyze or evaluate a print or television advertisement of your choosing. For your paper to be successful, your essay should include the following:

A brief summary of the ad, paying particular attention to the details you feel are important to your overall thesis. Your summary should not overwhelm your essay, but the reader should be able to understand or visualize the ad without seeing it.

An exploration of the techniques of persuasion that the ad employs in order to make the product more appealing. Is the ad intended to create a sense of comfort or anxiety? Does it use sexual elements? Does it attempt to create a cool image? Does it try to make the audience feel smart or dumb? Does the ad call attention to the product or distract from it? Is the message of the ad subtle or overt? Are the advertisers being ironic?

A sense of audience. In other words, for whom is the advertisement intended? (You are not limited to choosing an ad that you feel is geared toward you.)

An overall thesis. Your purpose can be to point out the subtleties of an ad that someone not paying close attention might miss, or you can argue that an ad does not understand the audience for whom it is intended. Whatever thesis you choose, you will be graded on the level of thought that goes into supporting it and on whether or not you effectively communicate your point. Remember to analyze or evaluate the ad. Include reasons, details, and examples to support your point.

A Works Cited page that states where you found the advertisement. Refer to Documenting Sources in MLA Style, page 507 of Rules for Writers.format your final draft should be about 500 words, at least five paragraphs long, double-spaced, carefully proofread, and formatted in MLA style. Follow the model student paper in Practical Argument,361-367, and include a Works Cited page. Grading CriteriaYour essay will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Clear and focused thesis statement.
Paragraphs fully developed with detailed supporting evidence.

Proper use, citation, and documentation of source material using MLA format, in this case the advertisement.

Effective essay organization to create a clear line of argument.

Clear and precise sentence-level rhetoric (grammar and style).