Analyze 
Use the basic features.

A Focused, Well-Presented Issue: Examining Arguments in Advertising

E-Page 57

As the annotations of the “It’s Only Another Beer” advertisement show, good ads have many or all of the basic features of the argument genre. In public-service ads, effective presentation of an issue is especially important.

ANALYZE & WRITE

Write a paragraph or two analyzing the “It’s Only Another Beer” ad’s presentation of the message about the consequences of drinking and driving:

  1. What aspects of the ad, visual and otherwise, are likely to resonate with viewers’ own experiences, desires, fears, or concerns?
  2. In what ways do the prominent art, minimal text, and use of white space contribute to the argument?
  3. What do the features of the ad say about its purpose and intended audience? In other words, with what types of audiences and in what types of places might this ad trigger the strongest response? Why, given such audiences and places, might an in-depth article with study findings or statistics on the toll of drunk driving have a less powerful or lasting effect?

    Question

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