Assignment- Advertisement Analysis
Below, find your Advertisement Category based on the first letter in your last name (My last name is Winter, so I would be in category 3). Then, find an advertisement that falls into the description in that category, and analyze the ad from a psychological point of view. If you can, upload a picture of the ad with your assignment; otherwise, vividly describe the ad as best you can. Again, copy and paste your responses into the blackboard dropbox folder. You can keep it in the questionnaire format below (which is actually my preference) or write it out in paragraph format. Just make sure to give a thorough response!
Categories:
Last Name A - H: Find an ad that appeals to or is based on a creation of needsthink about this in terms of human hierarchy of needs (biological, safety and security, belonging and love, self-esteem and status, cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization). You might recall these needs from an intro psych course covering Maslow.
Last Name I - Q: Find an ad that involves social and prestige suggestionstechniques based on the premise that you should buy or do something because many others do so (social suggestion) or some well-known person makes a recommendation (prestige suggestion).
Last Name R - Z: Find an ad that involves loaded words and imagesthese tend to be more subtle techniques, including the use of attractive people in the advertisement, images of positive social situations associated with a product, or incorporating "buzzwords" or buzz phrases such as "natural" for food and beauty products.
(Five Points Possible for Each Question)
1. What product does this ad attempt to market, and where is the ad from? Describe or attach.
2. To which component(s) of attitudes (e.g., affective, behavioral, cognitive) does this ad appeal? How can you tell? Was this a good strategy for this product/audience?
3. What route of persuasion do the advertisers seem to use (e.g., central/systematic route vs. peripheral/heuristic pg. 228)? Was that a good choice? Specifically, what central or peripheral cues are used?
4. Does the ad attempt to describe the source of its product information (e.g., "dentists agree that _____" or "experts suggest ____?" Do these sources come off as credible and/or attractive? If there was no expert, do you think one would have helped? Why or why not?
5. What about the communication itself? Are the arguments weak/strong, one-sided/two-sided, overt/implied, discrepant with the audience/in-line with the audience, or not present at all? Were these good choices?
6. What about the target of the communication? Who are the advertisers targeting, how can you tell, and was that a good decision? How might this ad be different if directed towards an audience from a more interdependent culture?
7. Describe how AT LEAST ONE concept that we have discussed (e.g. dissonance, emotions, attitudes, self-monitoring, etc. - your choice) is relevant to the ad's persuasiveness.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.