This project requires you to find and analyze one print advertisement, in order to argue whether/how advertisers successfully reached their audience. You will select your own ads. You will point to specific details from the ad to support your claims. You will be provided secondary sources and are required to include at least three properly-cited quotes from these sources. This project will be written in drafts and include a peer review and an instructor conference. You will learn the fundamentals of rhetorical devices and the art of persuasion through visual documentation. The purpose of this project is to argue, taking into consideration audience, message, purpose, rhetorical appeals, and / or rhetorical fallacies

Specifics

·      Audience: Professor

·      Length: 1000 words

·      Purpose: To argue

·      Thesis: Argumentative; basic thesis statements can state how/why advertisers were effective; more complex thesis statement can address larger, cultural issues

·      Expectations: Inclusion of a variety of evidence (ie: secondary sources, personal anecdotes and primary evidence); Address of counterargument; Mention of appeals (ethos, pathos, logos, kairos) and/or fallacies

·      Organization: basic introduction (engages/prepares reader), body paragraphs, and conclusion (So What?)

·      Style: Formal essay; direct/deductive thesis statement by end of conclusion; creative, confident voice; avoidance of you/contractions; consistency of point of view; correct grammatical and mechanical forms

·      Research: Primary research required; evidence needs to come from advertisement. Secondary research from credible sources is will be provided. Need to include at least THREE properly-cited quotes from those sources.

·      Format: MLA with Work Cited page, citing advertisement and provided secondary sources

·      Assessment: Course Rubric

·      Plagiarism Detection: Final draft will be uploaded to SafeAssign

Project Outcomes: Students will…

• understand how images convey messages to audiences by analyzing visual strategies and developing a thesis statement that makes a claim about the images (Focus) 
• support analysis using primary and secondary resources from the visual sources and course material (Evidence) 
• write an effective introduction, body, and conclusion; logically organize supporting points (Organization) 
• employ a process of revision using peer and instructor feedback to produce a paper that is clearly worded and free of grammar/punctuation errors, specifically as they relate to  proofreading, punctuation, run-on sentences, comma splices, and sentence fragments (Style) 
• maintain a consistent point of view (Style) 
• follow proper MLA structure both in formatting the paper and citing sources (Format) 

Writing Process:   

1) The Early Draft should be used as a brainstorming space where you can begin thinking about the print advertisement, its intended audience, and list any and all appeals of the visual argument, including any noticeable fallacies. Use this draft to outline, free-write, map, etc. as long as the exercise leads to more formulated claims in the subsequent draft.  

2) The Full Draft should be a working draft (1,000 words) that analyzes the print advertisement and whether it successfully targets its intended audience. This draft should include a thesis, all major points, evidence to support these points (including in-text citations from appropriate sources), and a Works Cited page.    

3) The Final Draft will be a polished 1,000 word essay that analyzes the advertisement, explain whether it successfully targets the intended audience, and how it achieves this goal. This draft should include a thesis, all major points, evidence to support these points (including in-text citations from appropriate sources), and a Works Cited page. It should be free of grammar and spelling errors and should follow proper MLA structure both in formatting the paper and citing sources. The draft must also include the original image analyzed by the student, which can be embedded into the document or attached as an appendix.   

Looking Forward / Future Considerations: 

In subsequent projects throughout the semester, students will build on the various skills developed in Project 1, particularly in regards to visual analysis, analyzing cultural artifacts, understanding rhetorical strategies, and understanding audience.  In Project 2 students will pick one visual form of popular culture and argue how that text affects its audience. In Project 3 students will apply what they’ve learned about culture by analyzing one visual portrayal of masculinity or femininity in American Dream mythology.