pick an advertisement and analyze it. This essay should be 750 to 1000 words long. You will need to combine both the descriptive and analytical methods of development so that you can express your ideas about the ad you chose. The ad should be printed, not a commercial. Those require a different set of skills to write about.

Keep in mind this paper is not about advertisements as a whole but a specific ad that you chose. A few hints for your ad is to find one that has both words and images. Avoid ads that have a few words because those are hard to discuss. Also, don’t pick an ad that takes up four pages in a magazine. Those can be overwhelming. A one page ad that has a few words is all you need.

Consider reading the example ad essays and observing how they organize their papers and discuss their respective ads. This first paper can seem tricky, so examples might be necessary to help you understand the expectations for this assignment.

Make sure you follow the rules of good grammar and format the paper correctly. Read RW beginning on page 513 for formatting instructions. Rule 37a in RW explains the use of quotation marks with dialogue. Rule 37e explains the use of other punctuation with quotation marks.

You will follow a three-step process: deciding (prewriting), writing (drafting), and making changes (revising).

Step one: prewriting.

1. Begin by finding an ad that you find interesting. Side note: Googling “funny ads” and picking something you think is interesting is fine, but it’s also what many, many students do, meaning if you do this, your essay could potentially be generic.

2. Next, come up with at least four aspects of your ad that you’d like to discuss (the colors, the people, the background, the words, where you found the ad, your experience with the product as it relates to the ad).

3. After making your choice, develop a cluster map, branching off in one direction as you recall associations you’d like to make. For instance, if the color green is predominate in your ad, ask yourself why that is and what ideas you associate with the color green. Ask yourself if the colors used in the ad tie into how you associate the color.

4. Finally, explore your ideas through focused free writing (write a free-flowing rough draft in which you get your idea down on the page; you can reorganize and edit later).

5. Later, try to organize your details and thoughts (a rough outline may help).

Step two: drafting.

1. Use the your notes or an outline (whichever method works for you) and other prewriting to begin drafting your paper.

2. Consider your audience as you write: imagine that you are writing this essay for your classmates whom you have just met.

3. After you write your conclusion, go back and fashion appropriate introductory remarks that give your audience an idea of the reason this place is significant to you.

Step three: revising.

1. Check unnecessary words like redundant use of the phrase “in the ad.”

2. Rearrange, make sentences clear, and remove clichés like “eye catching.”

3. Choose words carefully and provide transitions.

4. Check spelling and punctuation.

5. Use proofreading and peer review.

6. Turn in your final draft.