ADVERTISING

Tips on how to do this paper.

Semiotic questions designed to analyze ads

A history of advertising

Here is a well-written ad paper with good style/sensory detail and demonstrating good use of sources. Here's another that is a good example of a psychological approach. Here's an example of a revised ad paper, with scholarly sources. Here's another student paper analyzing a Tommy Hilfiger ad. Here's another analyzing sexual imagery in an alcohol ad

You might also want to look into culture jamming, essentially using the techniques of ads to unmask/deconstruct these techniques. For a feminist take on this, see Guerilla Girls. Basic ideas on feminism can be found here. Here's another new student site on women and ads with good resources

Advertising is a very important part of any study of popular culture. However, we have gone to the trouble of finding some helpful material, so that you won't have to. For you UCSC students, we have included the call numbers for books that we have in the McHenry Library.

The magazine that probably will be the most help to you, when doing a paper on advertising is Advertising Age. This magazine not only contains good ads to get ideas for your papers, but there are also a lot of articles that give insightful semiotic analysis of the media in general.

So if you would like to check out some useful links, here are a bunch that should definitely get you on your way.

Students highly recommend this link. It has great semiotic analyses of ads by students (for example on beer ads. , men's perfume or clothing.

*To search the Advertising Age website for the admaker's point of view, click here.

*Alwitt, Linda F., Dubitsky, Tony M., & Mitchell, Andrew A. (Eds.). (1985). Psychological Processes and Edvertising Effects: Theory, Research, and Application. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: New Jersey. [HF5822.P78]

**Aronson , E. and A. PratkanisAge of Propaganda gives a good general introduction , including, I think, some material on ads. By local psych profs.

**Cross, Donna W. Mediaspeak. A basic but funny and readable look at the media, including ads TV shows and news. Student recommended.

Cross, Mary ed. Advertising and Culture: Theoretical Perspectives. Praeger 1996. Student recommended.

*Edell, Julie A., & Agres, Stuart J. (Eds.). (1990). Emotion in Advertising. Quorum Books: Westport, CT. [HF5822.E46]

*Forceville, Charles. (1996). Pictorial Metaphor in Advertising. Routledge: New York. [HF5827.P67]

**Fox, Stephen The Mirror Makers gives a not altogether positive history of ads. Illini: New York 1997 HF 5813 U6 F66 1997. See my summary

Goldman, Robert. Sign Wars, Reading Ads Socially and the forthcoming ...Sign of the Swoosh

*Jones, John Phillip. (1995). When Ads Work. Lexington Books: New York. [HF5823.J719]

*Mandell, Maurice I. (1984). Advertisi ng (4th ed.). Prentice Hall: New Jersey. [HF5823.M219]

**Packard, Vance. (1957). The Hidden Persuaders. Penguin: London. [HF5822.P3]. This is a classic study which set off a series of imitations and updates. Student recommended, but a bit dated? The revised edition has an epilogue/update of sorts.

Phiper, Mary Reviving Ophelia Recent bestseller on effects of beauty myth ads on adolescent girls. Highly recommended by students.

*Stobart, Paul (Ed.). (1994). Brand Power. New York University Press: Washington Square, New York. [HF5823.P3]

Twitchell, James Adcult USA Argues ads are dominant in our culture, uses a historical approach. Highly recommended by student.