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DGME 100 - ADVERTISING DECONSTRUCTION REPORT
Deconstruction of an advertisement
A basic media literacy skill is “deconstruction.” This is the careful and close analysis of a piece
of media, looking beneath the surface to understand deeper meanings.
DIRECTIONS:
You will deconstruct a piece of advertising. You can choose a TV commercial, a billboard,
magazine ad, poster, radio commercial/promotion, promotional or political website, or other
advertising. Commercials should not be longer than 1:00.
You MUST be able to show your ad to the entire class by posting it in the online gallery. If it’s a
billboard or poster in the bus shelter, you need to take a good photo of it. If it’s a website or
commercial, you need a link to it. You can upload images or video for your report to Canvas.
PAPER AND SOURCES (APA STYLE CITATION)
You will write one 3-4 page paper that thoughtfully answers the questions listed below in bold.
You must cite at least TWO sources (only one may be a website) in APA style. APA style
requires that you put the author’s name and the year of publication in parenthesis after you
quote or reference material. (Brown, 2017). Your last page should contain your sources cited in
APA style.
You may write your paper in Q&A style or essay style. Q&A is easiest to read and grade.
You will upload the paper and advertisement to WebAccess.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO DECONSTRUCT AN ADVERTISEMENT
(sample answers are related to the Jif peanut butter commercial “College Package” - also
posted on week 10. Watch it first, then go over questions):
1. About the product. Describe the product, its history, its corporate owner. Who paid for the
advertisement and why? (identify the corporate owner and CITE SOURCES)
The J.M. Smucker Company owns the Jif brand. Jif peanut butter debuted in 1958. It has been the
number one peanut butter in America since 1981. Smucker purchased Jif from Proctor & Gamble in
2001. (Boyle, 2011) Smucker paid for this commercial to sell Jif brand peanut butter to mothers.
2. Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests,
etc.? How do you know? (what words, images or sounds suggest the audience?)
The primary target audience is mothers, specifically middle to upper class mothers who take care of
their children while they are at college. We can tell this is the target audience because the ad uses a
big kitchen in a large house, plus the style of the mother’s clothes references middle to upper class
professional, and we know that the family can afford college tuition and student housing. The ad is
not for low income households.
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3. What is the “text” of the message? (This does not refer solely to graphics on screen.
Describe what you actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings,
logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)
There are images of a black woman in a green sweater and green scarf in a large kitchen as her cell
phone rings. Her left hand clearly displays a wedding band. Smiling, she says, “Hey, college girl” into
the phone. The scene cuts to a younger black woman sitting on a pink polka-dotted comforter on a
bed, with an open white box next to her. Smiling, she says, “Hey, Mom, I just got your package.” The
commercial proceeds to cut back and forth between the two scenes of the mother in the kitchen and
the daughter in the dorm room. Each room is decorated with family photographs on the wall and
refrigerator. In the package that the younger woman received are many items, including a jar of Jif
peanut butter. She begins eating the peanut butter while on the phone with her mother. A voice over
states, “It’s more than just that great peanut taste. Choosing Jif is a simple way to show someone
how much you care.” The two women exchange “I-love-yous,” followed by the continuing voice over,
“Choosy moms choose Jif.”
4. What is the “subtext” of the message? (What messages are below the surface? Discuss
any messages or appeals that are unstated.)
Various subtexts include: good mothers send care packages to their daughters who are in college;
sending Jif peanut butter shows someone that you care about them; if you send someone Jif peanut
butter they will call you and tell you that they love you; Jif peanut butter brings families together; if
someone selects a different brand of peanut butter, they are not as caring or as choosy.
5. What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized or normalized? How?
The lifestyle presented is middle to upper class. It is not glamorized as much as it is normalized—
there is a sense that what we are seeing and hearing is representative of what all people (regardless
of race, class, ability, and geography) have, or should want to have.
6. a. What main appeals to the audience are used in this ad? Ethos, Logos, Pathos?
b. And what specific appeals are used? (refer to the “20 Ad Appeals” list on week 10).
The main appeal is to pathos or emotions. The intention is for every upper-middle class mother to
identify with the mother in the ad. Specific appeals include (see the ad appeals list — these are just
a few I chose for the Jif commercial):
Symbols—The smile on the daughter’s face is a symbol of happiness, the wedding band on
the mother’s hand symbolizes marriage and family unity, the use of the color pink in the dorm
room represents femininity. Mostly, Jif itself is symbolic of love and comfort.
Association—Jif is being associated with values like family, love, connection, and comfort.
Sentimentality —The music, the connection between mother and daughter, and their
expressed love for each other are used to emit a warm and fuzzy feeling
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Simple Solution—By purchasing Jif the mother eliminates distance between herself and her
daughter.
Repetition—Jif is visually and verbally repeated.
7. What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?
Positive messages include the visibility of women of color, the connection and love between mother
and daughter, and the support of a daughter’s college education.
Negative messages include the substitution of a product for love and the classist and/or capitalist
notion that love can be purchased in a jar of peanut butter.
8. What groups of people does this message empower? What groups does it disempower?
How does this serve the media maker's interests?
The message seems to empower women, particularly black women, through their visibility and
presence. Since this message uses college as its theme, the message could disempower lowincome, working class, and poor communities through the normalization of wealth - making them
feel abnormal if they cannot send their child to college. In some ways, it may empower low income
families that buy Jif because they may feel an association with mid to upper class households.
9. What part of the story is not being told? (CITE SOURCES if used)
We are not told any information about the product itself. The narration makes one qualitative
statement: “that great peanut taste.” The ad does not present any nutritional information, nor the cost
of the peanut butter, or where to buy it. Obviously, the commercial does not convey the social
realities of attending college, such as skyrocketing tuition costs, impacted programs, and academic
pressures.
10. Is this advertisement or ad strategy effective? Support your answer. (CITE SOURCES if
used)
This ad smartly targets the member of the household who is most likely to buy Jif. “Mothers
represent the most powerful consumers in the United States today. Each year they control more than
$1.6 trillion in household spending.” (Bailey, 2005) When you consider that Jif is the number one
selling peanut butter brand in the country (Boyle, 2011), it’s reasonable to believe that Jif ads are
effective. However, to prove effectiveness of this particular ad, Jif sales would need to increase
among black mothers during the time period that the ad aired.
Upload your paper and advertisement to the Ad Gallery on Canvas - week 14.
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References
(Citations must be in APA Style)
Bailey, M. (2005). Trillion-dollar moms: Marketing to a new generation of mothers.
(p. xi). Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing.
Boyle, M. (2011). The Popularity Issue: Peanut Butter: Jif. Retrieved October 12, 2015,
from http://www.bloomberg.com/ss/10/08/0812_popularity_index/23.htm
--------------------------------------Resources to help you with your paper:
Custom CSM Library Research Guide:
http://libguides.collegeofsanmateo.edu/dgme100
Everything in ONE place, just click on yellow tabs for info
Examples of APA citations:
https://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_examples.cfm#websites
Media Industry Magazines
Advertising Age:
http://adage.com/
Ad Week:
http://www.adweek.com/
Variety:
http://www.variety.com/Home/
Journal of Advertising and Society Review:
https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/18
EMMY https://www.emmys.com/emmy-magazine
Find a TV Commercial on iSpot! https://www.ispot.tv/browse
More Ad Appeals:
Another great source of advertising appeals is Jib Fowles’ Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals:
http://www.auburn.edu/~lef0009/website%20teaching%20materials/
15%20Basic%20Ad%20Appeals.pdf
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LIST of ADVERTISING APPEALS
1. Association. This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by
the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn’t make
explicit claims that you’ll get these things; the association is implied. Association can be a very powerful technique. A good
ad can create a strong emotional response and then associate that feeling with a brand (family = Coke, victory =
Nike). This process is known as emotional transfer. A sense of nostalgia also fits in this category.
2. Bandwagon. Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doing it" (or at least, "all the cool
people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the bandwagon.”
Politicians use the same technique when they say, "The American people want..." How do they know?
3. Basic Needs: Tries to connect to our basic human needs, includes appeals for love, safety & security, convenience, health,
wealth.
4. Explicit claims. Something is "explicit" if it is directly, fully, and/or clearly expressed or demonstrated. For example, some
ads state the price of a product, the main ingredients, where it was made, or the number of items in the package – these
are explicit claims. So are specific, measurable promises about quality, effectiveness, or reliability, like “Works in only five
minutes!” Explicit claims can be proven true or false through close examination or testing, and if they’re false, the
advertiser can get in trouble. It can be surprising to learn how few ads make explicit claims. Most of them try to persuade
us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.
5. Fear. This is the opposite of the Association technique. It uses something disliked or feared by the intended audience (like
bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution.” Ads use fear to sell us products that claim to prevent
or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.
6. Humor. Many ads use humor because it grabs our attention and it’s a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we
feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they’re trying to connect that good
feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in a store, we’ll subtly re-experience that good feeling
and select their product.
7. Loaded Language: Wording that attempts to influence the audience by appealing to emotion. The language of ads is full of
intensifiers, including superlatives (greatest, best, most, fastest, lowest prices), comparatives (more, better than, improved,
increased, fewer calories), hyperbole (amazing, incredible, forever), exaggeration, and many other ways to hype the
product.
8. Repetition. Advertisers use repetition in two ways: Within an ad or advocacy message, words, sounds or images may be
repeated to reinforce the main point. And the message itself (a TV commercial, a billboard, a website banner ad) may be
displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are repeated enough to pound their message
into our minds.
9. Testimonials. Media messages often show people testifying about the value or quality of a product, or endorsing an idea.
They can be experts, celebrities, or plain folks. We tend to believe them because they appear to be a neutral third party (a
pop star, for example, not the lipstick maker, or a community member instead of the politician running for office.) This
technique works best when it seems like the person “testifying” is doing so because they genuinely like the product or
agree with the idea. Some testimonials may be less effective when we recognize that the person is getting paid to endorse
the product.
10.Sentimentality. This technique uses sentimental images (especially of families, kids and animals) to stimulate feelings of
pleasure, comfort, and delight. It may also include the use of soothing music, pleasant voices, and evocative words like
"cozy" or "cuddly.” It works well with some audiences, but not with others, who may find it too corny.
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11. Extrapolation. Persuaders sometimes draw huge conclusions on the basis of a few small facts. Extrapolation works by
ignoring complexity. It’s most persuasive when it predicts something we hope can or will be true.
12. Flattery. Persuaders love to flatter us. Politicians and advertisers sometimes speak directly to us: "You know a good deal
when you see one." "You expect quality." "You work hard for a living." "You deserve it." Sometimes ads flatter us by showing
people doing stupid things, so that we’ll feel smarter or superior. Flattery works because we like to be praised and we tend
to believe people we like. (someone as brilliant as you will easily understand this technique!)
13. Glittering generalities. This is the use of so-called "virtue words" such as civilization, democracy, freedom, patriotism,
motherhood, fatherhood, science, health, beauty, and love. Persuaders use these words in the hope that we will approve
and accept their statements without examining the evidence. They hope that few people will ask whether it’s appropriate to
invoke these concepts, while even fewer will ask what these concepts really mean.
14. New. We love new things and new ideas, because we tend to believe they’re better than old things and old ideas. That’s
because the dominant culture in the United States (and many other countries) places great faith in technology and
progress.
15. Nostalgia. This is the opposite of the New technique. Many advertisers invoke a time when life was simpler and quality
was supposedly better ("like Mom used to make"). Politicians promise to bring back the "good old days" and restore
"tradition." This technique works because people tend to forget the bad parts of the past, and remember the good.
16. Rhetorical questions. These are questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. They are set up so that the
“correct” answer is obvious. ("Do you want to get out of debt?" "Do you want quick relief from headache pain?" and
"Should we leave our nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks?") They’re used to build trust and alignment before the sales
pitch.
17. Simple solution. Life is complicated. People are complex. Problems often have many causes, and they’re not easy to solve.
These realities create anxiety for many of us. Persuaders offer relief by ignoring complexity and proposing a Simple
solution. Politicians claim one policy change (lower taxes, a new law, a government program) will solve big social problems.
Advertisers take this strategy even further, suggesting that a deodorant, a car, or a brand of beer will make you beautiful,
popular and successful.
18. Slippery slope. This technique combines Extrapolation and Fear. Instead of predicting a positive future, it warns against a
negative outcome. It argues against an idea by claiming it’s just the first step down a “slippery slope” toward something
the target audience opposes. ("If we let them ban smoking in restaurants because it’s unhealthy, eventually they’ll ban fast
food, too." This argument ignores the merits of banning smoking in restaurants.)
19. Snob Appeal. Works by appealing to our desire to be better than others. Often used for high-end expensive products that
most people cannot afford.
20. Symbols. Symbols are words or images that bring to mind some larger concept, usually one with strong emotional content,
such as home, family, nation, religion, gender, or lifestyle. Persuaders use the power and intensity of symbols to make their
case. But symbols can have different meanings for different people. Hummer SUVs are status symbols for some people,
while to others they are symbols of environmental irresponsibility.
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20 SPECIFIC ADVERTISING APPEALS
1. Association. This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by
the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn’t make
explicit claims that you’ll get these things; the association is implied. Association can be a very powerful technique. A good
ad can create a strong emotional response and then associate that feeling with a brand (family = Coke, victory =
Nike). This process is known as emotional transfer. A sense of nostalgia also fits in this category.
2. Bandwagon. Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doing it" (or at least, "all the cool
people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the bandwagon.”
Politicians use the same technique when they say, "The American people want..." How do they know?
3. Basic Needs: Tries to connect to our basic human needs, includes appeals for love, safety & security, convenience, health,
wealth.
4. Explicit claims. Something is "explicit" if it is directly, fully, and/or clearly expressed or demonstrated. For example, some
ads state the price of a product, the main ingredients, where it was made, or the number of items in the package – these
are explicit claims. So are specific, measurable promises about quality, effectiveness, or reliability, like “Works in only five
minutes!” Explicit claims can be proven true or false through close examination or testing, and if they’re false, the
advertiser can get in trouble. It can be surprising to learn how few ads make explicit claims. Most of them try to persuade
us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.
5. Fear. This is the opposite of the Association technique. It uses something disliked or feared by the intended audience (like
bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution.” Ads use fear to sell us products that claim to prevent
or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.
6. Humor. Many ads use humor because it grabs our attention and it’s a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we
feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they’re trying to connect that good
feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in a store, we’ll subtly re-experience that good feeling
and select their product.
7. Loaded Language: Wording that attempts to influence the audience by appealing to emotion. The language of ads is full of
intensifiers, including superlatives (greatest, best, most, fastest, lowest prices), comparatives (more, better than, improved,
increased, fewer calories), hyperbole (amazing, incredible, forever), exaggeration, and many other ways to hype the
product.
8. Repetition. Advertisers use repetition in two ways: Within an ad or advocacy message, words, sounds or images may be
repeated to reinforce the main point. And the message itself (a TV commercial, a billboard, a website banner ad) may be
displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are repeated enough to pound their message
into our minds.
9. Testimonials. Media messages often show people testifying about the value or quality of a product, or endorsing an idea.
They can be experts, celebrities, or plain folks. We tend to believe them because they appear to be a neutral third party (a
pop star, for example, not the lipstick maker, or a community member instead of the politician running for office.) This
technique works best when it seems like the person “testifying” is doing so because they genuinely like the product or
agree with the idea. Some testimonials may be less effective when we recognize that the person is getting paid to endorse
the product.
10.Sentimentality. This technique uses sentimental images (especially of families, kids and animals) to stimulate feelings of
pleasure, comfort, and delight. It may also include the use of soothing music, pleasant voices, and evocative words like
"cozy" or "cuddly.” It works well with some audiences, but not with others, who may find it too corny.
11. Extrapolation. Persuaders sometimes draw huge conclusions on the basis of a few small facts. Extrapolation works by
ignoring complexity. It’s most persuasive when it predicts something we hope can or will be true.
12. Flattery. Persuaders love to flatter us. Politicians and advertisers sometimes speak directly to us: "You know a good deal
when you see one." "You expect quality." "You work hard for a living." "You deserve it." Sometimes ads flatter us by showing
people doing stupid things, so that we’ll feel smarter or superior. Flattery works because we like to be praised and we tend
to believe people we like. (someone as brilliant as you will easily understand this technique!)
13. Glittering generalities. This is the use of so-called "virtue words" such as civilization, democracy, freedom, patriotism,
motherhood, fatherhood, science, health, beauty, and love. Persuaders use these words in the hope that we will approve
and accept their statements without examining the evidence. They hope that few people will ask whether it’s appropriate to
invoke these concepts, while even fewer will ask what these concepts really mean.
14. New. We love new things and new ideas, because we tend to believe they’re better than old things and old ideas. That’s
because the dominant culture in the United States (and many other countries) places great faith in technology and
progress.
15. Nostalgia. This is the opposite of the New technique. Many advertisers invoke a time when life was simpler and quality
was supposedly better ("like Mom used to make"). Politicians promise to bring back the "good old days" and restore
"tradition." This technique works because people tend to forget the bad parts of the past, and remember the good.
16. Rhetorical questions. These are questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. They are set up so that the
“correct” answer is obvious. ("Do you want to get out of debt?" "Do you want quick relief from headache pain?" and
"Should we leave our nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks?") They’re used to build trust and alignment before the sales
pitch.
17. Simple solution. Life is complicated. People are complex. Problems often have many causes, and they’re not easy to solve.
These realities create anxiety for many of us. Persuaders offer relief by ignoring complexity and proposing a Simple
solution. Politicians claim one policy change (lower taxes, a new law, a government program) will solve big social problems.
Advertisers take this strategy even further, suggesting that a deodorant, a car, or a brand of beer will make you beautiful,
popular and successful.
18. Slippery slope. This technique combines Extrapolation and Fear. Instead of predicting a positive future, it warns against a
negative outcome. It argues against an idea by claiming it’s just the first step down a “slippery slope” toward something
the target audience opposes. ("If we let them ban smoking in restaurants because it’s unhealthy, eventually they’ll ban fast
food, too." This argument ignores the merits of banning smoking in restaurants.)
19. Snob Appeal. Works by appealing to our desire to be better than others. Often used for high-end expensive products that
most people cannot afford.
20. Symbols. Symbols are words or images that bring to mind some larger concept, usually one with strong emotional content,
such as home, family, nation, religion, gender, or lifestyle. Persuaders use the power and intensity of symbols to make their
case. But symbols can have different meanings for different people. Hummer SUVs are status symbols for some people,
while to others they are symbols of environmental irresponsibility.
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