Critical Thinking Exercise: Frith Analysis of Ads
Assignment Due Date and Time
This work is due at the end of Week 12.
Purpose
Critical thinking exercises are opportunities to analyze, conceptualize, condense, synthesize and evaluate media in fuller detail.
Step 1
Review the following source to prepare for your ad analysis:
The Gender Ads Project: How to Read Ads
Step 2
Begin your own analysis of gender ads. Visit Vintage Ad Browser, a website that contains vintage gendered advertisements from the late 1800s to the 1980s. Spend some time reviewing what ads were typical in US American culture during various time periods.
Step 3
Review the ads grouped under Misc. Years. There are 18 ads total; select three of them to review. Analyze each ad using Frith’s three-prong approach:
The Surface Meaning
The Advertiser’s Intended Meaning
The Cultural or Ideological Meaning
Include the image of each ad you reviewed with your analysis.
Tip: Go beyond the superficial in your interpretations. What are the underlying implications of these ads, when presented in American culture? What impact could they have on generations of American women and men?
Submission Instructions
Record your analysis and image of each ad into a Word Doc and upload it to ulearn.
Grading Criteria
This work is graded out of 100 points. Refer to the Critical Thinking Exercise rubric for grading expectations. Your responses will not be judged “right” or “wrong.” The key is to think analytically and carefully about the article/ideas/issues and to present your thoughts in a clear, well-written manner.
College of Online Education ILS2385
Johnson & Wales University