Making Sense of Advertisements Daniel Pope

In the essay Advertisements R Us, Melissa Rubin does a satisfactory job persuading readers who may not share the same view or analysis of the advertisement as her. Rubin does this by including plenty of historical context into her writing. This works by providing sound reasons and evidence to back up her analysis about what the ad was trying to do, which was to sell its product to the most profitable group of people

In the reading Advertisements R Us, Melissa Rubin expands upon her analysis of Coca-Colas’ 1950 magazine advertisement, and brings many points to light about how the company uses cleverly crafted advertising tactics to appeal to a specific group of Americans. By clearly communicating her evidence to back up the analysis of the advertisement, Ruben composes a thoughtful and persuasive paper. For example, Rubin explains how simple details, such as the use of their slogan on the vending machine pictured which reads “Drink Coca-Cola - Work Refreshed”, and the placement of “Sprite Boy” in the ad, all work together to send a message that makes consumers want to buy their product. Consequently, because of the evidence presented in her writing, Rubin has crafted a paper that I find logical and persuasive.

In today’s society there are a plethora of ideas about advertisement. What would it take to meet societies want’s with the increase in advertising of new technology? In regards to four articles: “What’s Changed” by , Jane Hammerslough, “Urban Warfare” by, Kate MacArthur & Hilary Chura, “The Age of Reason” by, Kenneth Hein, “The Buzz on Buzz” by, Renee Dye. These four authors describe the many different angles that can be approached by advertisement. They have also shown some great aspects of the new uprising development of advertising technology in modern American society.

In the article, Every nook & nanny: the dangerous spread of commercialized culture, written by Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor, the authors argue how corporations have had great influence on schools, television, movies, internet and other forms of media culture through advertising. Prior to 1989, advertising was not accepted in schools. Chris Whittle convinced schools to accept adverting by offering to loan TV sets providing children to view 10 minutes a day of news, banter and at least two minutes of advertisements through Channel One. Food and beverage companies soon entered the schools with ‘sponsored educational materials’ fed in their TV advertisements to the mass audience. Companies began ‘Ad creep’ because

The average United States Citizen views about 5000 advertisements a day (Johnson). Advertising is everywhere. Billboards on the way to work, ads on the internet, and paper products such as magazines or newspapers display a sale or a promotion of a good or service. Usually, the ad will give a brand or company name, and uses the product’s merits to draw the consumer closer. This has grown exponentially as advertisements in media in 1970 were estimated to be 500 a day, a ten percent increase in the last 48 years. (Johnson). This is due to the rise of technology, as the computer has become a household gadget within the new millenium. These advertisements are meant to give a synopsis of the product or service’s purpose, quality, and efficiency. If a consumer views 5000 advertisements in a single day and assuming the commercials do not repeat, 5000 goods or services are introduced. With more options to choose from in such little time, the consumer has a harder time differentiating the quality and perhaps necessity of the product. The marketers rely on the quick, impulsive decision making of consumers. With the misleading nature of many infomercials or radio broadcasts, the people of American society are bombarded with constant propaganda, thus making seemingly harmless promotions more potent to filling industries’ pockets and lessening the common population’s

Advertisements are an extremely prominent part of American society. Very few places exist that an individual can go without being exposed to some form of ad. From product placement to billboards, advertisements exist in nearly every facet of life. Marion Nestle discusses what she considers to be one of the more heinous forms of advertisement in her essay, “The Supermarket: Prime Real Estate.” Nestle uses several persuasive techniques to convince her audience of the evils of supermarkets. Her use of emotionally charged phrases paired with her more logical assertions help to drive her point home while her clear bias and lack of supportive source detract from her overall argument

Due to advances in technology, significant changes in advertising appeared in the 1920’s. In the latter half of the 1900’s ads were illustrated in color for the first time and the layout of most magazines changed. Advertisements, in the 1910 Ladies’ Home Journal, were mostly located in the back of the magazine. Though due to the popularization of name brands, ads moved to the front as competition between products produced more revenue.

Throughout history, advertising has played a significant role in consumerism, politics, and much more. By the 1920’s it had developed into a major aspect of daily life for Americans, determining everything from their hygiene habits to their meals. Despite this having been almost one-hundred years ago, there are many similarities, but also many differences in the advertising industry today.

Jim Fowles’ Advertising’s fifteen basic appeals , Fowles writes about how ads has many ways to appeal to the consumer. Actually according to Fowles there’s fifteen basic appeals to be exact. When Fowles writes “something primary and primitive, an emotional appeal, that in effect is the thin line edge of the wedge, trying to find it’s way into our minds.” In other words, Fowles is saying how advertisement works . The point that Fowles is making is important because something that has been around for years has made a major impact to society. The consumers have “unfulfilled urges and motives swirling in the bottom half of our minds.” This shows why Fowles is correct , it displays how advertisements have an emotional appeal to the

In 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor the “War Advertising Council” was established to offer advertising services towards the efforts of World War II. When the war ended the word “war” was dropped from the name, and the Ad Council was born. Since then “the Ad Council has offered trusted advice and inspiring calls-to-action. In fact, we created the category of public service advertising, and our icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture”. (Ad Council)

Advertising in the 1920s was not much different from advertising today. Other than the fact that today companies can advertise more with billiton boards and it’s easier with everyone having a television. During the twenties there was an advertising boom which called for different ways and uses of advertising. There are two types of consumer advertising that sprouted in the twenties which are national and retail. In the dictionary, national is defined as something dealing with the whole country.

In the earliest methods of advertisements, a man named William Caxton printed what could be Britains first advert in 1477 and from then advertising developed into a genuine business and it wasn’t long before people started to offer themselves as specialists in advertising - the earliest known record of an advertising agency dates back to 1786. (1). A couple centuries after Caxton, followed the rest of the advertisement as we know of today; with a brief time line dating the different approach through the years starting, 1704 - America published their first ever newspaper Ad, 1835 - First billboards appear, 1920 - Air on the radio advertisement, 1941 - First Television commercial, 1978 - The first widely publicised example of online

“What is technology?” Have you ever marveled about the prominence of technology in our day-to-day lives? If you ever have, you have undoubtedly appreciated its complexity and its capability to make everyday responsibilities easier for yourself. For example, you probably admire how cellphones have completely eradicated the old-fashioned method of communicating, by sending mail to friends and relatives. Or how the invention of laptops and computers have brought up a new, more efficient method to stay in touch with the world, though the internet, rather than the previous method of newspapers. However, all these basic ideas of the importance of technology are ideas of what technology has done for you, and can be completely different for others. Have you ever wondered what technology has done for others, perhaps people not in the same circumstances as you, perhaps of a different age, religion, race, gender, or socio-economic status than you? Maybe you haven’t, but Microsoft, a leading technological superpower, certainly have wondered about this as seen in their “Empowering” ad.

Advertising has always been an important part of our society. The history of advertising can be traced to pre-modern history when it served an important purpose by allowing sellers to effectively compete with other merchants for the attention of clients in Ancient Egypt. From 1704 when the first newspaper advertisement was announced, it gradually grows into a major force in American society based primarily on newspapers and magazines (Ad Age Advertising Century, 1999). It not only helps to raise the target demographics’ awareness of issues, but also educate consumers with the benefits of the product. However, advertising cannot target a particular person before the emerging of World Wide Web.

“Advertising is far from impotent or harmless; it is not a mere mirror image. Its power is real, and on the brink of a great increase. Not the power to brainwash overnight, but the power to create subtle and