What is an advertising analysis essay?

Question

How do you do one? Is it difficult to do?

Answer 1

That's the first time I ever heard it called that, but I would guess that means you are looking at an advertisement to discuss how they are trying to sell whatever it is they are selling.  In other words, look at a commercial on TV. It is a woman dressed as a regular mom with a child who has a cut on his knee and the mom sprays it with Pain-B-Gone first aid spray.  The ad says that Pain-B-Gone works best and in the next frame, the child is smiling which of course indicates that the pain is gone. So, without ever trying the product, we are to understand that this product works best. In your analysis, you will explain to readers that the company is drawing its own conclusion about their own product. Some consumers will see that ad and go right out and buy Pain-B-Gone simply because the ad says it's the best.  In another ad for the same product, Pain-B-Gone now shows the same child and mom at the park. He scrapes that darn knee again and mom doesn't have anything with her. A friend happens to have Kleen-A-Kut and Mom is about to use it but the child cries and says he would rather have Pain-B-Gone, so he will endure the pain as long as it takes to go to the store and get another can of Pain-B-Gone because it's the only product he trusts.  Now your analysis will discuss that the company is making another product look bad while showing their product as the superior brand. Of course, there is no proof of that, so they say Pediatricians recommend Pain-B-Gone for their patients.  In reality what happened was that they sent a representative of their company to a convention of Pediatricians and they had a booth there with free samples of their product. They show the doctors a list of ingredients and ask if they would recommend this product to their patients.  Okay so doctors take a box of samples and fill out a card that says yes they will recommend it and now the company has the names of several Pediatricians who are willing to recommend their product. The only thing is, the Pediatricians didn't say this product is better than any other, but the advertising won't point that out.  

People write letters to companies about their products and this company may receive one that says a customer used Pain-B-Gone and not only did it take away the pain, the cut healed in a couple days and everything was fine.  Now in the next ad, they will say that Pain-B-Gone can heal your cuts as well as take away the pain, based on customer testimonials.  That last bit will of course be flashed in very small print along with a disclaimer that these results are not because the product contains any medicine for healing.  In your analysis you can also mention that saying a product CAN do something doesn't mean it WILL do it.  

I think you get my point. That is my understanding of the assignment.  You have to think about what the ads are really saying or not saying and it can be a fun assignment.  It will also maybe change how you look at ads and figure out who they are aimed at based on when they are shown and the content.  You can email me if you have any questions.  Good luck!