Ad Analysis Draft

A massive debate that has been sweeping the nation this year was finally put to rest only months ago: gay marriage. Although to many it seemed like a no-brainer, that all humans lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, and transgender should be granted the same rights; many groups with religious affiliations, or homophobic groups opposed letting non-straight people merry. Much of the combat that took place between both sides was in the media and advertisements. Thousands of advertisements were published over many different medias, and in many different ways. A total of 379 major companies like Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, and Facebook expressed their public support for gay rights. Many of these companies used creative, bold, and colorful advertisements to do so. The three advertisements below are different in design and structure, but all express the same important message: that gay marriage is a right, not a privilege.

This first ad has been published in a very unique, but effective way: on clothing. Big companies have been marketing their brands on clothing for a long time. It is effective in grabbing people’s attention because in this day and age, people don’t look at signs as often as they do the people around them. If you are anywhere outside of a big city, odds are there aren’t going to be massive screens or boards like in Times Square; selling shirts with messages on them is a great way of adjusting and advertising in different environments. This ad is intended for anyone who takes the time to read the shirt of a passerby. Depending on the opinion of the spectator, this ad can be effective in starting up a conversation about the issue, and perhaps swaying someone’s opinion. It is a smart design, because the words “right” and “not” stand out. It draws your attention first off, and also highlights the important words. That “marriage is a human RIGHT / NOT a heterosexual privilege” (Marriage is…). The word “right” is often connected to our Constitution; many people argue that freedom of speech is their “right” or they have the “right” to bear arms. Much like this, they use the word “right” to show how necessary it is for many people. Additionally, anyone purchasing this t-shirt is not only showing their support for the cause, but they are also directly supporting the cause, when many of the proceeds from these shirt sales are donated to campaigns and programs working to improve gay rights. This simple, yet powerful ad provokes a strong feeling of passion and cause.

One of the most profound and puissant strategies in advertising is humor. Companies who use humor in their ads argue that humor is a “universal language,” that also “humanizes” advertising (Gulas). This second ad uses satire and somewhat historical humor to expose the hypocrisy and irony of legislation about gay rights.  It reads: “Gay people getting married? (Next They’ll be allowed to vote and pay taxes)” (Kenneth Cole). The obvious humor in this concise quote is the second part which reveals a hidden truth about this country’s history of discrimination. It is common knowledge that before LGBTQA citizens were being denied their basic human rights, it was slaves and blacks, other minorities, and women. They all had to fight for their freedom and rights when they never should have had to. All the while, America was being praised by its white male citizens for its “liberty” and “freedom”. Although gay individuals are indeed allowed to vote and pay taxes, Kenneth Cole’s wording highlight the clear parallels of these issues. Another important aspect of this particular ad is its size and location. Billboard advertising has been used since before the 1800s, but its explosive growth came in the early 1900’s when automobiles became more popular, and roads and highways began sprouting up around the country (History of…). Billboards are one of the most effective ways of reaching a large audience in a short period of time. A board like this over a busy city highway would see thousands of different people a day. In this particular circumstance, the ad for gay rights is intended for that such audience: anyone and everyone who may be passing by the billboard. The thought provoking quote, mixed with the isolation of driving could get many people thinking, and seeing those parallels with other issues of the past. Compared to the first ad, which was seen on t-shirts, this billboard ad is guaranteed to reach a large audience. The t-shirts are not as big and bold, and may not be seen or read by many people. Although, they are both quite effective, and creative types of advertisements that we don’t see as often.  

This final ad is one that has become much more common since the boom of social media. Famous celebrities and other well-known people can create their very own pages on sites like Facebook to inform people of their lives and their views. When campaigning in 2012, Obama’s official Facebook page posted this ad. It shows a defiant, wise looking Obama with a quote box in the forefront. It reads: “Every Single American - Gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender - every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society” (President Obama). The words “Treated equally” are made larger and highlighted to show their divine importance. Within minutes, this ad had reached thousands, if not millions of people, which is why it is the most effective form of advertisement today. A huge part of getting support for a cause is being endorsed by big names; and there is no name bigger in the united states than Barack Obama. Although this particular advertisement was used by the Obama campaign to gain support for him, hundreds like it have been made by LGBTQA support groups and activist groups to show the very significant support that their cause has drawn. They can use this to gain even more support from people who like Obama, and are less aware of the gay rights issue, or people who are on the fence about the decision. Compared to the other two advertisements, this one takes the cake for reaching the furthest, and being the most effective. This ad can be seen all over the world, and on an interface that millions of people are guaranteed to use every day. It is an instant conversation starter for families, or strangers online to give their insight into the issue of gay rights. The internet has made these types of issues very well known all over the country, and campaigns like the Obama Campaign are using it to declare a stance, and spread awareness of the issue.

Although all three of these ads are very different in design and media type, they all work to convey the same message: that gay rights is a major issue that needs to be addressed, and that every citizen, not just heterosexuals deserve the right to marry. Thousands of advertisements like these have been published on all types of media: newspaper, television, billboard, clothing, online, and in magazines. Each one has it’s benefits and it’s faults. The t-shirts are a great way for individuals to show their support, but they reach a very small audience. The billboards are a classic way of reaching thousands of drivers, but they may be looked past a lot. Online advertisements are the most effective in reaching a large audience, and they are the most effective in starting a conversation on the issue. Despite the legislation passed to make gay marriage legal, there are still many issues of discrimination that gay couples have to face. There have been cases of offices refusing to give marriage licenses to gay couples, and churches refusing to marry said couples. Their fight for liberty and equality is not over. Advertisements like these continue to help the cause by spreading awareness to a wide variety of audiences. They all drive the cause in different ways, none less important than the other.

Works Cited

Gulas, Charles S., and Marc G. Weinberger. Humor in Advertising: A      Comprehensive Analysis. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006. Print.

"History of Billboard Advertising." History of Billboard Advertising. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Kaufman, Alexander C. "Here Are The 379 Companies Urging The Supreme Court To Support Same-Sex Marriage." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

"Marriage Is A Human Right Not A Heterosexual Privilege T Shirt." Marriage Is A Human Right Not A Heterosexual Privilege T Shirt. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Ad project

Summary: This ad by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. It shows how smoking in the house is just as bad for you as it is for your kids. The girl has an adult sized arm holding a cigarette. The text at the bottom reads: “Second hand smoking in the home hospitalizes 17,000 UK children a year.”

Paraphrase: The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation created an ad that appeals to parents, to display the negative effects on their loved ones.

Quote: “Second hand smoke in the home hospitalises 17,000 UK children a year” (Roy Castle)+++++

Improvement: Seeing the Mother’s reaction to her daughter might create more impactful emotion.

1. Who published this ad?

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. The UK’s only Lung Cancer Charity.

2. Who are these texts intended for?

This ad is intended for smokers who have children. They use the young girl with the cigarette to show us that smoking in the house is just as bad for the smoker as it is for the people around them. This can also be used for kids with parents to smoke, to warn them about the effects of their actions. It’s a call to action for both parties. Stop smoking, or try and get your parent to stop smoking.

3. How can we tell that?

A picture of a young girl, around the age of 7, is the main focus of the ad. The ad is simple and seems normal but clearly she as an adult arm - and it is smoking a cigarette. The ad also features a shocking statistic -  “Second hand smoke in the home hospitalises 17,000 UK children a year” (Roy Castle).

There are other smaller symbolic things you can draw from this ad. For example, the coat hanger can be seen as implying that the parent is “hooked” on smoking.

Additionally, you may notice that the girl’s gaze is distant and passive. This could be the adult or child side of her, showing that she is numb to the fact that she (or her parent) is smoking and killing herself.  

4. What is the purpose of these texts? What are their creators wanting to change or make happen?

The goal of this advertisement is to persuade adults to stop smoking. This specific ad. focuses on smokers with children.

5. How do they seem to be working toward this purpose(s)? What beliefs and values do they address?

The ad uses guilt to persuade parents to stop smoking, or at least to be more mindful of how they are affecting their children and loved ones, as well as themselves.

6. What evidence from the texts can you provide to support your answer?

The one quote says it all: that second hand smoking can hospitalize many kids. This is a staggering statistic that truly reflects how bad smoking is for the smoker and the families.

7. Can you come up with a statement that would indicate what the ad does?

This ad appeals to our emotions and strong statistics to display the negative effects of the smoker, as well as the people around them.

Smoking ad

Summary: This ad by The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. It shows how smoking in the house is just as bad for you as it is for your kids. The girl has an adult sized arm holding a cigarette. The text at the bottom reads: “Second hand smoking in the home hospitalizes 17,000 UK children a year.”

Paraphase: The effects of second hand smoking are widespread for people in the UK.

Quote: “Second hand smoke in the home hospitalises 17,000 UK children a year.”

Improvement:

Writing summaries and paraphrasing

Summary: In Advertisements R Us, Melissa Rubin reveals how advertisements made in the past can be used today to examine the values of that era. She shows how the Coca-Cola ad appeals to the largest audience in America, how it shows the importance of the military, how it presents the white and blue collar workers, and how people of color and women were viewed during that time. The ad was very much geared towards the white working males of America, the people most likely to buy their product. In the front of the ad stands military men from all of its branches. This shows the importance of our military in a time shortly after WWII. On either side of the military men are the white and blue collar workers. It shows how the civilian workers are important to American society, but not as much as the military men. Finally, the ad only shows a few women, dressed casually, and appearing only to be there for the men. This shows how women were viewed as unimportant in society. Additionally, there are no people of color shown in this ad. This implies the racism of the general public is still quite strong at that time. The author concludes that ads like that of Coca-Colas show the values of society during that time, and that Coca-Cola was a powerful company that helped to empower, and unite the workers of America.

Paraphrase: English Major Melissa Rubin reveals the length of knowledge that is stored within advertisements of different time periods. We can use them to understand the cultures and societal views of those times. 

Quote: When analyzing the Coca-Cola ad from the 1950s, Melissa observes that the crowd is "overwhelmingly male and apparently all white" (176). This shows the cultural views of advertisement companies at that time. 

Ads analysis

1. Who published these ads?

• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) [dog with man]
• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) [dog with ball]
• Freedom For Animals [lady w/ hair product]
• Mercy for Animals [caged pig]

2. Who are these texts intended for?

• They are intended for consumers of many different products, as well as people looking to adopt a dog. The first ad, by PETA says “If you wouldn’t wear your dog please don’t wear any fur.” it is appealing to our emotions by having a sad picture of a pug, and making you think about if you were to make him into a coat. The second ad is talking about how hair products are tested on animals, and it kills over 300,000 a year. It again appeals to our emotions, and makes us angry at the companies. The Mercy for Animals ad shows a caged pig that is going to be butchered for meat by Walmart. It is trying to convince us not to buy meat from them. Finally, the ASPCA ad is trying to show that despite dogs behaving poorly once, they don’t deserve abuse. They deserve a happy family to take them in.

3. How can we tell that?

• The message is very clear in portraying a negative association with the use of animals and benefiting ourselves with the mistreatment of them. The images and words contribute to this message.

4. What is the purpose of these texts? What are their creators wanting to change or make happen?

• The purpose of these texts is to influence the reader to do, or not to do, a certain thing. The main goal seems to be the shed light on a subject that may otherwise be hidden from the consumer. To raise awareness.

5. How do they seem to be working toward this purpose(s)? What beliefs and values do they address?

• The companies/organizations (PETA, ASPCA, etc.) are investing quite a bit of time and money into spreading the word for these issues they are founded on. This shows how important these issues are to them. The hope in these advertisements is to capture the reader's attention and hopefully convince them to possibly do something about it. Or at the bare minimum become conscious of the issue.

6. What evidence from the texts can you provide to support your answer?

• “If you wouldn’t WEAR your dog… please don’t wear ANY FUR.” This statement is a direct and personal display of words, that attaches the reader to the ad. By doing so the reader feels as if they are being spoken to by the people in the advertisement, rather than reading

7. Can you come up with a statement that would indicate what the ads do as a group?

• The ads show the many poor ways we use animals for our own gain; whether it be for food, testing products, or wearing for warmth. The ads act to raise awareness of these crimes against animals by appealing to our emotions with images of innocent looking animals and information about how they are treated.

Advertisements R Us Summary

In Advertisements R Us, Melissa Rubin reveals how advertisements made in the past can be used today to examine the values of that era. She shows how the Coca-Cola ad appeals to the largest audience in America, how it shows the importance of the military, how it presents the white and blue collar workers, and how people of color and women were viewed during that time. The ad was very much geared towards the white working males of America, the people most likely to buy their product. In the front of the ad stands military men from all of its branches. This shows the importance of our military in a time shortly after WWII. On either side of the military men are the white and blue collar workers. It shows how the civilian workers are important to American society, but not as much as the military men. Finally, the ad only shows a few women, dressed casually, and appearing only to be there for the men. This shows how women were viewed as unimportant in society. Additionally, there are no people of color shown in this ad. This implies the racism of the general public is still quite strong at that time. The author concludes that ads like that of Coca-Colas show the values of society during that time, and that Coca-Cola was a powerful company that helped to empower, and unite the workers of America.

Advertisements R Us Questions

1. The insight Melissa offers is that the Coca-Cola advertisements are almost like time capsules that capture the moods and social tendencies in society during that time. She breaks down every aspect of the image, by showing the white male dominant crowd, the bright, shinning factories, the many men in military garb (since this was after WWII), the blue collar workers, and the white collar. It implied that everyone was friends, boss and employee could share a coke together. The fact that the ad is drawn into a city shows the massive industrialization that was still taking place after the war. There are no signs of suburbia in this ad. She provides further evidence by applying facts to the images that were portrayed in that time. I accept her conclusion that the ads helped reflect the values of that time. It is obvious when you view the ad.
2. Her historical context is helpful in understanding some parts of the ads. She points out how every branch of the military is present (men in uniform), and how they are in the front of the image. This applies to how important the military was to us at that time after WWII. Another historical context is how the factories are not portrayed in a bad light. Today, factories are seen as environment-killers. But in the ad, they are just another part of the scene, and the American life at that time. Another historical context piece was the lack of colored people in the ad. It shows the structural racism that was much worse at that time. How "normal" people are seen as white. She explains how only black celebrities or athletes had been portrayed in any Coca-Cola ads.
3. Her answering the question of what the society was like back then is the biggest thing you can draw from these ads. You could also answer questions like how prices of products have changed, how their design has changed, or how ads as a whole have changed. Then, the most used type of ad was printed, but today it is on TV. You can use ads like these to create a timeline of this industry in the United States.
4. Many ads today can shows the general values or lack-there-of in today's society. For example, cologne or swimwear ads show the structural sexism that is ingrained in our society today. Companies use scantly dressed, or nude women to give their product attention. Today, the female body is exploited in so many ways. I think that these ads are a good example of where we are wrong today. They are not much different from the ads of the past, because they show what we as a society still have to work on. In the Coke ad, it was the racism, industrialization, and sexism. Today, sexism is still a massive issue.