Can you analyze the influence of mass media on societal and individual thinking?
Overview
You work for the Washwells, the owners of a small company that manufactures natural products for personal hygiene and home cleaning. Since local people love their products, the Washwells plan to expand their business through print advertising. As socially responsible business owners, it is very important to them that they avoid sending the wrong messages about gender roles in their ads. They’ve asked you to come up with an ad idea for one of their products that, in addition to encouraging sales, will avoid the pitfalls of gender stereotyping.
Directions
In order to create your advertisement concept, begin by learning about how mass media influences individual and societal thinking. Make sure you are familiar with the following concepts:
- Stereotyping
- Objectification
- Subtext
Then, examine the two advertisements in the Advertisement Analysis Worksheet. Analyze each of the advertisements by responding to the questions in the Worksheet. Make sure to provide specific evidence for each of your answers.
Next, create a concept for an advertisement that promotes “Wash,” a new Washwell product. Wash is an eco-friendly, hypoallergenic laundry detergent with a signature flowery scent. Remember that the Washwells want to avoid gender stereotyping in their advertisement. (Optional: you may include a sketch of your advertisement.)
Finally, analyze your own advertisement by answering the questions in the Advertisement Analysis Worksheet.