Advocacy Advertising: Its

Not Always a Product

When we think of advertising and
marketing, we often assume that they are
used to sell us products. Advertisers and
marketers have a much larger role in our
society, being often called upon to
promote abstract concepts, ideas,
information, places, corporate and public
images, and even social norms. The
following pieces feature media texts
designed to serve purposes beyond the

#1
For each of the previous media texts,
identify what you perceive to be the
intended audience and purpose (e.g.,
to persuade, to sell, to inform, etc.).

#2
Each of the selections focuses on an
image or concept as a controlling idea.
What is the central idea in each text?
In what way(s) are these ideas
different from what we find in the
majority of advertisements and
marketing texts we encounter?

#3
Propaganda is defined as texts aimed
at persuading people to support a
particular cause (political, social, or
religious). All of the previous texts
included some elements of
propaganda. What specific features of
the writing and visual texts persuade
the viewer of a particular point of
view? Support your answers.

#4
a) Visual elements are often designed to set
a mood or tone for the written text. For
each selection, determine what mood the
creators were trying to evoke in the
viewer? What visual elements did they
use to set this mood?
b) How does the form of the text (e.g. poster,
print advertisement, brochure) change the
way in which visual elements are used?