commercial visual analysis
Visual Communication
Explore the various tactics used to make a TV commercial effective,
Select one of the following videos for your analysis:
• 84 Lumber “Donald Trump Wall”
• Apple, “The Song”
• Gillette, “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be”
• Nike “Dream Crazier”
• New York Times, “The Truth Is Worth It: Perseverance
• Old Spice, “Running on Empty”
Write 700–word (800 max) essay using MLA
conventions for formatting, in–text citations, and a works cited list. Your essay should be
an analytical essay that explains the overall message and/or effectiveness of a visual
piece. You must provide an explicit thesis –located in your introduction– that will provide
a focus for your paper.
Since commercials are more complex than many other types of media (including the
addition of motion mixed with sound), there are more things to consider:
• What is the product or service being sold? Can you easily figure out what the product
is?
• What is the general mood or feeling of the commercial?what methods are the advertisers using to make us interested? How do they portray the product or service in a positive light?
• How does the soundtrack play a role in your interpretation of the commercial? Is the
music cheery, dreary, suspenseful, whimsical, fun, or exciting? Does the music affect our
feeling of the mood? Is there a voice–over of someone telling us something? What is the