Context:

We have been studying genre analysis using The Bedford Book of Genres. We used the key terms from “Rhetorical Situation and Choices” and “Genre” to analyze ads in class. Then, I had students find an ad for homework and post about it on the discussion board using the same terms that we had studied in class.

Discussion board assignment:

Hi all! Look at the chart on page 32, then pick an ad that you’ve seen in your life and write about the rhetorical situation and choices (purpose, audience, rhetorical appeals, modes and media) and the genre conventions (common examples, style, design, sources).

If the ad is a video or a link, please post it!

In-class application:

I had them circle up in small groups and explain to their group which ad they analyzed. Then I picked a couple of ads that students had posted about, had the students who wrote about them explain them, and then we watched those ads as a class and analyzed them. It was especially useful when I had several students who analyzed ads from similar companies (like Nike, Reebok, and Adidas). In this case we watched each ad and then decided which company was doing their ad campaigns the best and why.