Prompt: Lens Analysis of Commercial Advertisement (film writing)

Paper details: Use ideas from “On Reading a Video Text” and “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising” as lenses to analyze a video advertisement of your own choosing. How does the advertisement attempt to persuade the viewer to utilize—or not utilize—a product, service, or brand? What story does it tell? What sorts of cultural symbols, values and myths does it draw on? Who is the target audience for this advertisement? You must also consider how your argument complicates or extends ideas from “On Reading a Video Text” and “Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising.”

In terms of the structure of the Lens Analysis, you will be identifying a theme of the advertisement you choose, analyzing audiovisual elements as evidence of that theme, but you will then take your argument one step further by presenting a case for what the target audience is and how the creators of the advertisement are attempting to persuade them. You will also be including at least one quote from both “On Reading a Video Text” and “Masters of Desire.”

“On Reading a Video Text” https://www.medialit.org/reading-room/reading-video-text

“Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising” (refer to material: Masters_of_Desire.pdf)

**The Works Cited Guidelines, and Format for Short/Long In-Text Quotations are included in the materials**

Must include a separate works cited page attached to the essay (MLA format)

Word Count: 1200 words

Advertisement to be analyzed: Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like (https://youtu.be/owGykVbfgUE)

1. The advertiser of the commercial is Old Spice. An American brand of male grooming products. The Procter & Gamble owned American brand is popular for its body wash, deodorant, aftershaves, etc.

2. The target audience of the commercial is aimed towards a male youth demographic up to the thirties. Those that would like to smell good like a “man.”

3. The commercial uses masculinity to persuade their target audience into buying Old Spice body wash. By using their product as a male, you’ll be engulfed in luxuries, smell better and feel more confident.

4. The three audiovisual elements that will be analyzed include: set design (propsaqw), sound (diegetic), and location/setting.