Our next reading assignment is a 1969 article by Arnold M. Barban entitled The Dilemma of “Integrated” Advertising.
Here is a PDF: Barban_DilemmaOfIntegratedAdvertising
This article is something of a technical paper, written for ad executives and media strategists. You will notice that the language is, to say the least, out-of-date. While reading this we might ask ourselves what roles language and tone play in effectively addressing an audience. We might also consider the ways biases effect different aspects of advertising.
Your post for this reading will be structured a little differently. Instead of writing 3-4 paragraphs, please identify and document 3-4 instances in recent magazines, posters, billboards, etc. where advertisers appear to use race, ethnicity, gender or cultural identity to shape their messages.
Post snapshots or rough scans of your selected ads to OpenLab with short captions describing the image and the source from which the image was found. If you’re looking in a magazine, tear out the pages and keep them in your journal.
Note that identity and race can be used in a seemingly positive, embracing way, or in a cynical, pandering manner. Or it can be difficult to tell. Please attempt to discern the motives of the ads in question.
Please also use ads that you encounter throughout the week. Do not use historical examples, or campaigns discussed in other classes.
