For this essay, you may answer one of the following questions.  Advertisers may promote products that are poorly made, harmful to one’s health, or impossibly hyped (i.e. “Get thin in three hours on our Jumprope to Fitness System”). How sympathetic are you toward these advertisers, who may just be “doing their jobs”? Should advertisers be held accountable for the effects of their clients’ products? Why? In what ways? Heart disease and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. How has marketing/advertising contributed to this? What appeal do food ads hold for the average American? The ads make us eat when we are not hungry and eat more than we need to for nourishment. This should not be an informative paper about advertising but an position paper on what you think is the most powerful appeal ad makers use. Locate the kinds of appeals food advertisers use to sell their product in the course of your argument. Since 9/11 advertisers have been using patriotism to sell their products. With the Trump presidency, there seems to be a resurgence of this angle in advertising. Do you think this is right and just? Is it irresponsible? Are these companies exploiting patriotism, which some consider sacred? Or does patriotism appeal to the average American in an advertisment? Many products have advertising campaigns associated with breaking rules, dissolving boundaries, ignoring typical culturally accepted behavior, or reaching beyond the ordinary. Why do these ads seem dangerous to some people? Or do you think these ads appeal to viewers? How successful do you think these “no rules” ad campaigns will be in the future or are we already over them? Why? Locate ads that use the same “hook” to sell the product. Hooks may come in the form of sex, celebrities, unusual artwork, shock value, children, or animals. How does one hook work to sell many different products? What is the real message being sent to the consumer by using that particular hook? In other words, why is that hook so powerful? How is one group of people portrayed in advertising? You may choose the elderly, teenagers, the upper class, parents, ethnic groups, differently-abled individuals, single parents, woman, men, etc. Are they accurate portrayals? What messages do the advertisers send about the group you chose? Many groups not traditionally associated with marketing and advertising borrow persuasive strategies to promote themselves. How do presidential candidates, government officials, educators and academic institutions, military braches/recruitment outfits, or any non-traditional group (celebrities, sports figures, social organizations) use these strategies and, more importantly, do you think this is appropriate? 

Your answers should be 50-150 words in length. Just say anything about gaining knowledge in business and how I can apply it in the recycling & scrap business. How will USD help enhance your educational and professional goals beyond what your current institution offers?