Length: 1200 words;
\n(Please provide a word count at the end of your essay.)
\nThe draft must be complete and properly referenced and formatted, not in note or outline form.
\nIf you do not arrive to class with a draft of your essay, five percent will be deducted
\nfrom the grade you receive for the assignment.
\nYou must actively participate in the workshop to receive full marks.
\nAnalyse a print magazine advertisement of your choice, using as the basis of your discussion
\nAbraham Maslow\u2019s \u201chierarchy of needs\u201d as described in Kalat\u2019s Introduction to Psychology (see
\nEnglish 1204 Moodle page). The ad should be fairly recent, published within the past year.
\n——
\nWhere to find your ad:
\n\u2022 Look in a print magazine that you have at home. Perhaps a family member reads
\nmagazines if you do not.
\n\u2022 Do not use an ad found on the internet or one that has been discussed online or in a
\npublished text. The analysis in this essay should be your own original work.
\n\u2022 KPU library. If you do not normally purchase magazines, remember that the KPU library
\nsubscribes to a variety of periodicals, including Rolling Stone (Langley campus) and Elle
\n(Richmond campus), which might be good sources for ads. There is a colour photocopier in the
\nKPU library, so you can attach a colour copy of the ad to your assignment when you hand it in. I
\nneed to be able to see the ad clearly in order to mark your essay.
\n\u2022 A Public Library. Public libraries often carry popular magazines that contain a lot of ads (e.g.
\nMen\u2019s Health, Men\u2019s Fitness, GQ, Cosmopolitan, and many more).
\n\u2022 The Course Moodle Page. If you cannot locate an ad, you may choose one from our course
\nMoodle page. The Moodle page can be found at https:\/\/courses.kpu.ca The bibliographic
\ninformation for each ad (i.e. the magazine name, month, year, and page number) can also be
\nfound in the list on the Moodle page. If you choose an ad from the Moodle site, you will need the
\nbibliographic information for your works cited page.
\nNot all ads lend themselves well to this assignment, so you will need to select your ad carefully,
\nkeeping Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs concept in mind. If you are unsure whether your ad is
\nsuitable, consult with classmates and your instructor. Feel free to stop by my office during office
\nhours if you would like to discuss possible ad selections in advance.
\n——
\nIn your analysis consider the following:
\n\u2022 Which need(s) do you think the ad appeals to? (note: you do not have to write about
\nevery need on Maslow\u2019s hierarchy; choose the one or two that work best)
\n\u2022 How do the images and text relate to these needs and function to persuade the reader to
\nbuy the product (or service)?
\n\u2022 What does the ad suggest about who we are and what we value as a society?
\nBelow are some suggestions on how to approach this assignment:
\n1. Introduction
\nYou should briefly explain Maslow\u2019s theory of motivation so that the reader will understand the
\nconcept (be sure to identify all five levels of needs) and introduce the ad you will be discussing:
\nwho is the advertiser? what product is being sold? where did you find the ad? to whom is the ad
\ndirected? At the end of your introductory paragraph, include a thesis statement that clearly states
\nyour argument\/what your paper will be about. Your thesis must connect the ad with Maslow\u2019s
\ntheory: you must state which need(s) your ad appeals to. (Remember too that you must reference
\nthe information on Maslow\u2019s hierarchy, using MLA format.)
\n2. Analysis
\nConsider the features of the ad and determine what you think they reveal about our needs and
\nvalues. In your essay, be sure to describe specific features clearly and explain what you think
\nthey mean. Remember that the claims you make in each paragraph must relate to the thesis
\nstatement in your introduction. Use the present tense to discuss details of the ad. If you quote
\nfrom the ad, make sure your quotations are integrated smoothly. Since all the quotes from your
\nad will be from the same page (or possibly two), you do not need to include the page number
\nwith each quote.
\nSome things to consider (though you do not need to directly discuss each of these):
\nTypes of images in the ad, relative size of images, position of images, use of colour, use
\nof light and dark, type of activity portrayed, symbolic value of any items, relationship
\nbetween images and text, meaning(s) of words that are used, size of words, position of
\nwords, typeface, ideas expressed by the words, grammar of the text (e.g. fragments,
\nparallelism, rhyme, and so on). Things like people\u2019s facial expressions, clothing,
\nhairstyle, or body position might be significant as well.
\n3. Conclusion
\nIn your conclusion, be sure to reinforce the significance of your discussion. Try to answer the \u201cso
\nwhat?\u201d question. How do the things you have written about relate to broader concerns in the
\nworld of the reader or the world as a whole? Does the ad accurately communicate something
\nimportant about our society? If so, is this message something good or something that should
\nmotivate change in the future?
\n\u25ba A Tip About Language: How to Discuss \u201cAppeals.\u201d Student writers often have difficulty
\nexpressing in writing their ideas about Maslow\u2019s hierarchy in relation to an ad and its audience.
\nWe can say that an ad \u201cappeals\u201d to safety needs and esteem needs. In a different sense, we could
\nalso say that a reader might find an ad or product \u201cappealing\u201d (i.e. interesting or desirable), but
\nthis would be to use the word \u201cappeal\u201d as an adjective, not as a verb. To prevent confusion, it
\nmight be best to use the word \u201cappeal\u201d only in relation to ideas on the hierarchy. Many other
\nwords (e.g. \u201cinteresting,\u201d \u201cattractive\u201d) can be used to indicate other types of ideas.
\n\u25ba Another Tip About Language: How to Refer to the Source. Be careful not to confuse the
\ncompany that produced the product with the product or brand itself or with the advertising
\ncompany that likely produced the ad. See the sample student essay as well as the ad analysis
\ntemplates below for possible strategies. Remember, too, that the word \u201ccompany\u201d when used to
\nrefer to a business is a singular collective noun: a company is an \u201cit\u201d not a \u201cthey.\u201d
\nOrganization of Ideas
\nBe sure to read the sections on Essay Guidelines, Essay Organization, Essay Development,
\nQuoting, Parenthetical Referencing, and Titles in your Selected Readings manual, page 125-136,
\nfor information on how to organize and reference ideas in your essay.
\nIf you are used to writing five-paragraph essays, you might be tempted to organize your
\ndiscussion according to three things (for example, type, images, and, perhaps, colour). However,
\nthis organizational strategy is not very effective because it oversimplifies the way an ad
\ncommunicates. Type often works together with an image to express an idea and the two cannot
\nbe separated so easily. Also, if both type and image express the same idea and you have used
\nseparate paragraphs to discuss type and image, your paragraphs may contain unnecessary
\nrepetition.
\nA better strategy would be to begin with simpler, more obvious ideas and build up to ideas that
\nare more complex. Consider using transition words that indicate spatial relationships (e.g. above,
\nbelow, to the left, and so on). Be careful not to structure your whole essay around the reader\u2019s
\nexperience of reading the ad, commenting on what the reader looks at first, second, third, or
\nwhat the reader thinks or imagines. The details of the ad\u2014not the reader\u2014should be the focus of
\nyour discussion. Perhaps use your first body paragraph to provide a general overview of what is
\ncontained or depicted in the ad, along with discussion of some larger idea of what is significant
\nabout the ad. Subsequent paragraphs can expand your argument and include more details from
\nthe ad.
\nTitles
\nGive your essay a title that identifies your subject matter and something about the theme of your
\nargument. Your Selected Readings manual provides some suggestions and guidelines as well as
\nexamples. Two good examples from recent student essays include \u201cOld Spice: Smellf
\nActualization\u201d and \u201cSobieski Vodka: Self-Esteem in a Bottle.\u201d
\nSample Essay
\nRemember that the course Moodle page offers a sample student ad analysis essay to help you
\nunderstand how to approach this assignment. Be aware that the works cited page in the sample
\nare now out of date as we will be using the style guidelines described in the eighth edition of the
\nMLA Handbook, not the 7th edition. The ad discussed in the sample essay for Smartwater can
\nalso be found on the course Moodle page.
\nAd Analysis Templates
\n(These are suggestions only, possible strategies to avoid using too much language to refer to the \u201creader\u201d
\nand his or her responses or to the \u201ccompany\u201d or \u201cbrand name\u201d or \u201cadvertiser.\u201d These templates are
\noffered for your use to adapt and fill in the blanks as you wish, and you do not need to reference anyone if
\nyou use them.)
\nThe ad features an image of\/uses an image of _______ to illustrate\/suggest _______.
\nThe main feature in the ad is an image of _______.
\nThe fact that ______ seems to indicate that _______.
\nThe fact that _______ tells us that _______.
\nThe reference to _______ suggests _______.
\nOf particular interest is _______.
\n_______ is described as _______, which suggests _______.
\nThe image of _______ also bears comment.
\nBelow the picture is a caption which reads \u201c_______.\u201d
\nAbove the picture is the heading \u201c_______.\u201d In the centre of _______ is _______.
\n_______, a symbol of _______, is _______.
\nThe image of _______ is ideally suited to express _______.
\n_______ helps to convey _______.
\n_______ may be interpreted as _________.
\nIt is important to note\/curious\/ironic\/significant that _______.
\nThe reference to _______ implies _______.
\nThe word\/phrase\/statement _______ suggests\/emphasizes\/reinforces _______.
\nThe _______ in the picture appears to be _____, which suggests that\/reinforces the idea that
\n_______.
\nNext to\/below\/above _______ is _______. To the left\/right of _______ is _______.
\nAlso noticeable is _______.
\nThe ad suggests that _______.
\nPossible thesis statements: The ad appeals to _______ and _______ needs.
\nThe ad appeals to the reader\u2019s need(s) for _______ and _______.
\nAd Analysis Essay: Works Cited Entries, MLA 8th edition
\n(adapted from the MLA Handbook, 8th edition, and MLA Style Centre, https:\/\/style.mla.org\/)
\nUse the MLA template handout you received in class as a reference and write out the information
\nfor whatever entry you might need for your works cited page.
\nEveryone will have a minimum of two entries: the magazine ad selected plus the Kalat text for
\nMaslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs information.
\nPrimary Source: Your Magazine Advertisement
\nA primary source is the main source or text that you are writing about. In this case, it will be an
\nad.
\nMLA 7th edition format:
\nThe Fitness Fragrance by Ralph Lauren. Advertisement. GQ Apr. 1997: 111-12. Print.
\nMLA 8th edition: When a source is untitled, provide a generic description of it, neither italicized
\nnor enclosed in quotation marks, in place of a title. Capitalize the first word of the description
\nand any proper nouns in it.
\nMLA 8th edition format:
\nAdvertisement for the Fitness Fragrance by Ralph Lauren. GQ, Apr. 1997, pp. 111-112.
\nA Reminder about Sources\/Avoiding Plagiarism
\nYou are not required to do research for your first essay assignment, but if you do, remember that
\nany sources that you quote, paraphrase, or summarize in your essay must be properly referenced.
\nThis means that you must name your source in two places: in the body of your essay and on the
\nworks cited page. If you quote a source exactly, you must use quotation marks. If you put the
\nideas into your own words, you must still identify the source by name and give a page number if
\nthere is one. Sources must be referenced properly regardless of what kind of source you have
\nused: even a dictionary definition must be referenced.
\nBe advised that plagiarism is quite easy to detect, especially if it is from an online source. Any
\nassignments containing plagiarism will receive a grade of F (0 percent) and reported to the
\nDean as per policy ST2. If you are not sure whether something should be referenced or how
\nyou should reference it, ask your instructor for assistance.
\nAlso, make sure that any sources you use are reliable and suitable for an academic essay.
\nWikipedia is not considered a suitable academic source. Similarly, information you find in
\npersonal blogs is not considered reliable or scholarly.
\nThe KPU library website offers information about evaluating sources. See also your handbook,
\nA Canadian Writer\u2019s Reference, page 383-385. Ask your instructor or a librarian to assist you if
\nyou have any questions about sources.
\nIf a magazine you are citing provides volume and issue numbers in addition to a date, include the
\nvolume and issue numbers in the number slot and the date in the publication-date slot:
\nJones, Mel. \u201cThe Second Racial Wealth Gap.\u201d Washington Monthly, vol. 47, nos. 11-12, Nov.-
\nDec. 2015, pp. 11-14.
\nPublication dates of sources may vary. The MLA Handbook, 8th edition, says you should write
\nthe full date of the source as you find it. This means that if your magazine has a day of
\npublication in addition to a month and year, you should include it in the following order: day,
\nmonth (abbreviated), and year.
\ne.g. An advertisement for Jim Beam Bourbon, found in Rolling Stone, issue 1278-1279, January
\n12-26, 2017, page 17 would be written as follows:
\nAdvertisement for Jim Beam bourbon. Rolling Stone, nos. 1278-79, 12-26 Jan. 2017, p. 17.
\nSecondary Source: A Book with Information about Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs
\nA secondary source is any other kind of text or information that you draw on in order to present
\nyour argument about the primary source. A secondary source can take a variety of forms: it could
\nbe a book, an article, interview information, information you found in a website, and so on.
\nIn this assignment, everyone will have at least one secondary source: James Kalat\u2019s information
\nabout Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs theory. For the sake of practicing a book entry, cite this
\ninformation as if you saw it in the book that it was originally printed in and not as pages in a
\nMoodle posting. Here is what your entry should look like:
\nKalat, James W. Introduction to Psychology. Wadsworth, 1986.
\nDid you use any website information in your essay?
\nIf so, you will need to locate, according to the MLA template, whatever information is available
\non the website.
\nIf you are unsure about who the website publisher is, here\u2019s what the MLA Handbook, 8th
\nedition, says about publishers:
\nWebsites are published by various kinds of organizations, including museums, libraries, and
\nuniversities and their departments. The publisher\u2019s name can often be found in a copyright notice
\nat the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site. See the
\nfollowing example of a website entry:
\nHarris, Charles \u201cTeenie.\u201d Woman in Paisley Shirt behind Counter in Record Store. Teenie Harris
\nArchive, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, teenie.cmoa.org\/interactive\/
\nindex.html#date08.
\nA publisher\u2019s name may be omitted for the following kinds of publications, either because the
\npublisher need not be given or because there is no publisher:
\n– a periodical (journal, magazine, newspaper)
\n– a work published by its author or editor
\n– a website whose title is essentially the same as the name of its publisher
\n– a website not involved in producing the works it makes available (e.g., a service for users\u2019
\ncontent like WordPress.com or YouTube, an archive like JSTOR or ProQuest). If the contents of
\nthe site are organized into a whole, as the contents of YouTube, JSTOR, and ProQuest are, the
\nsite is named earlier as a container, but it still does not qualify as a publisher of the source.
\nDid you use a dictionary definition in your essay?
\nHere is what the MLA Style Centre Q&A section says about dictionary entries:
\nCite an entry in a print dictionary like a section of a larger work. Include the page number in the
\n\u201cLocation\u201d element of the MLA style template:
\n\u201cContent.\u201d Merriam-Webster\u2019s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., Merriam-Webster, 2003, p. 269.
\nTo cite an entry in an online dictionary, consider the URL the location:
\n\u201cContent.\u201d Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, 2016, unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/
\ncollegiate\/content.
\nSee page 42 of the MLA Handbook for guidelines on when it\u2019s permissible to omit a publisher\u2019s
\nname, as in the above example. Whether you\u2019ve consulted an entry from a print or an electronic
\ndictionary, you can direct readers to the definition you\u2019re citing in a parenthetical reference:
\n(\u201cContent,\u201d def. 4.1.b)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ad Analysis Length: 1200 words; (Please provide a word count at the end of your essay.) The draft must be complete and properly referenced and formatted, not in note or outline form. If you do not arrive to class with Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-431363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-essay-paper-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}