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Ad Analysis

Page history last edited by Abigail Heiniger 12 years, 2 months ago

Return to Schedule of Sessions

Return to Project One

 

Agenda: 

Monday 

  1. Housekeeping - P1 Intro Workshop Fallout 
  2. Discuss the reading
  3. Create a paper for "I AM CANADA"

 

Wednesday:

  1. Finding material for Content & Categorical Arguments

 

Friday:

  1. Rough Draft Workshop P1  

 


 

More strategies for evaluating the power of ads: using the research 

 

Last class we talked about building an ad analysis using our own observations of rhetorical techniques (the artistic appeals and the logical fallacies listed in Good Reasons). Now let's use RESEARCH (experts) to analyze ads. You can use ANY COMBINATION of these techniques for your own ad analysis paper. 

 

Discussion Questions: 

  • What are Kuskchinkas' two main points? 
    • How does she make use of ELECTRONIC MEDIA to enhance her argument? 
  • What is Lindstrom's main point?
    • How does Lindstrom arrange the article VISUALLY for his reader? Is this arrangement specific to the media he's using?  
  • What is Frank's main point?  
    • How is this piece different from the other two texts? Why is that?  

 

Advertising Nationalism and National Identity 

 

What is a "Canadian"? 

 

 

 

How do these "I AM CANADIAN" commercials define "Canadian"? 

 

  • What do they contrast "Canadian" identity with? 
  • What face do they put on "Canadian" identity?
  • What is the purpose of defining "Canadian" this way (what does Molson Canadian Beer gain from the "I AM CANADIAN" campaign)?
  • Who does this definition include?    

 


 

"I AM CANADIAN Identity, Territory, and the National Landscape":  http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theory_and_event/v004/4.4manning.html  

 

 I AM CANADIAN Identity, Territory and the Canadian National Landscape (2000)

By Erin Manning 

 

     On television, on the radio, in classrooms, in parliamentary debates, in bars, cafés and restaurants across Canada, the subject of "being Canadian" is on everyone's lips. I Am Canadian, a Molson Canadian © commercial, is the reason for this recent "Canadian identity" frenzy, having moved into center stage by tapping into a well-rehearsed obsession in Canada with issues concerning national identity and anti-American sentiment. I Am Canadian stars an average "Joe" who passionately informs Canadians as to what distinguishes them from Americans and renders them unique as celebrated Canucks. For those unfamiliar with this recent event, a play by play of the commercial goes something like this: Joe enters, dressed in a flannel shirt, a tee shirt and jeans. He clears his throat and tests the microphone, which squeals. As he begins to speak, the screen behind him lights up with the image of the Canadian flag. "I am not a lumberjack or a fur-trader," he states as the screen behind him shows representations of Joe dressed as a lumberjack and a fur-trader, "and I don't live in an igloo." "I don't eat blubber or own a dog sled," he continues, "and I don't know Jimmy, Suzy or Sally, although I'm certain they're really really nice."

 

     Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance, in a mounting crescendo, accompanies the rest of the commercial.[1] "I have a Prime-Minister, not a President," Joe explains, as the image behind him shifts from the Canadian Parliament buildings to the image of the White House, "I speak English and French, not American, and I pronounce it about, not a-boot (image of a boot)." The Canadian flag once again prominently in the background, the camera pans to Joe's face in a center screen close-up. "I can proudly sew my country's flag on my back-pack," he continues, his voice becoming louder in tandem with a crescendo in the music. "I believe in peace-keeping, not police-keeping, diversity, not assimilation, and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal." With increasing emotion, he faces the audience as he prepares for his final oration. "A toque is a hat," he says, "a chesterfield is a couch, and it is pronounced zed, not zee. Canada is the second largest land-mass in the world, the first nation of hockey, and the best part of North America." Opening his arms as the camera brings him forward to full center, where he is dwarfed by the Canadian flag, Joe passionately exclaims: "My name is Joe and I AM CANADIAN."

 

The first two paragraphs introduce and describe the advertisement (which is the primary artifact/evidence for the paper). The thesis does not appear until the THIRD paragraph. This is acceptable for a twenty-page article, but it is probably not the best way to begin a 3-5 page paper: the thesis should come SOONER.   

 

     The I Am Canadian commercial, which airs predominantly during hockey games, though also during regular television scheduling and in movie theaters, reflects popular aspects of what "being Canadian" signifies within the national imagination. First, it reminds Canadians of the strong (and unfailing) connection between nationalism, beer and hockey in Canada. This implicit relationship is underscored in the I Am Canadian commercial by the fact that it is not deemed necessary to foreground beer. No mention of beer is made throughout the commercial, the only concession to Molson Canadian © being the final logo, where the "Molson Canadian" label is interchanged with the words "I am Canadian." Secondly, the commercial builds on anti-American sentiment, which many Canadians define as a central aspect of "being Canadian." I Am Canadian does so by foregrounding the misinformed caricature many Americans paint of Canadians.

 

The section highlighted in BLUE is Manning's THESIS ABOUT THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN (the paper is actually about art and identity - Manning's discussion of the advertisement is just an introduction to the larger topic). It's a TWO PART thesis:

     1) THE AD REINFORCES A CULTURAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN "NATIONALISM, BEER AND HOCKEY." 

     2) The ad depends upon an "anti-American" definition of Canadian nationalism. 

 


 

If we were going to modify this thesis for the INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH AND THESIS of PROJECT ONE, we might write it like this: 

 

According to Erin Manning's article "I AM CANADIAN Identity, Territory and the Canadian National Landscape" (2000), the "I Am Canada" advertising campaign of the "Molson Canadian" beer in the late 1990s reinforced a cultural association between "nationalism, beer and hockey" (3) to market their product. Their ads also depended upon an "anti-American" (Manning 3) definition of Canadian nationalism. The product itself is never mentioned in any of the commercials, except for the use of the "Molson Canadian" logo in the final image.This paper explores why  the humorous associations between anti-American nationalism, hockey, and beer were an effective advertising strategy for "Molson Canadian" and the campaign's Canadian audience despite the fact that the product is only marginally incorporated into the advertisements.  

 

 

  • This introduces the ADVERTISEMENT and it's audience (including WHEN the advertisement was aired).
  •  The THESIS identifies THREE ASPECTS of the advertising campaign and it SPECIFIES THAT THE PAPER WILL EXPLORE HOW THESE RHETORICAL STRATEGIES WORK (remember, we're interested in the MECHANICS - WHY AND HOW something works, NOT it's content).
    • It also SPECIFIES WHO these ads were aimed at (intended audience) - and audience is incorporated into the rhetorical analysis.

 

 

  • Each body paragraph(s)/section will discuss one of the following:
    • anti-American nationalism
      • Describe an example.
      • Explain WHY this is a good rhetorical strategy:
        • Use "Why Johnny Can't Dissent" by Thomas Frank and Matt Weiland (why dissent or rebellion is a marketing strategy).    
    • hockey 
      • Describe an example.
      • Explain WHY this is a good rhetorical strategy:
        • Use Susan Kuchinskas's "How Advertising Works Our Nerves (In a Good Way) - the idea/topic of hockey creates a memory that supersedes a memory of the product.  
    • beer: describe how this does NOT appear in the advertisements
      • Why is this still a good commercial for beer (ref. back to Kuchinskas - subliminal associations)  
      •  why nationalism, hockey, and beer are a powerful combination - ASSOCIATION 
        • Describe the combination.
        • Explain WHY this is a good rhetorical strategy:
          • Use Martin Lindstrom's "How Subliminal Advertising Works" as an authority on this topic ("We Fall for 'Tradition'").
    •  CONCLUSION:
      • This was a good advertising campaign because....
      •  Talk about the importance of audience and effective rhetorical strategies.
      • Talk about the importance of emotions and dissent in advertising (to create solidarity).  

 

 

1Manning also makes this observation in her article (3).  

 

 

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