Writing Assignment: Comparison/Contrast of Advertisements
OBJECTIVE: In this writing assignment, you are asked to compare and contrast two video advertisements of your choice, paying close attention to the following elements: purpose, audience, author, types of appeal, arrangement and style. Please use APA style. This is a formal essay, so please do not use colloquialisms, contractions, or the first and second persons (“I,” “you”).
LENGTH: 1200 words minimum.
RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE: ( but feel free to expand if you wish; nothing less)
- Introduction
- Establish your main topic
- Identify the ads
- State your thesis
- Analysis of the first ad
- Purpose, audience, author, appeals, arrangement, style
- Values/desires?
- Stereotypes?
- Ideas of normalcy?
- Analysis of the second ad
[same as #2]
- Conclusion
- State the result of your analysis and its sociocultural implications
- Close your text with a memorable sentence
Rubric for Writing Assignment
CONTENT (30%)
- Critical thinking
- Original ideas – personal contribution to topic
- Development of topic
- Meeting the minimum length requirement
- STRUCTURE (20%)
- Effective introduction
- Clear, strong paragraphs
- Thought-provoking conclusion
- Use of transitions
- Logical order
- FORMAT (5%)
- Page layout
- Title page with running head, title, name, and school name
- Page numbers
- Attention-grabbing title
- GRAMMAR (25%)
- Proper comma use
- No run-on sentences or fragments
- Formal language – no colloquialisms
- Agreement
- Correct verb tenses
- Capitalization
- SOURCES AND CITATIONS (20%)
- At least two sources (the ads)
- Proper in-text citation in APA format
- References page in APA format