10A: sample analysis paragraph

Here's the sample we wrote in class. It's about the ad thumbnailed above. (Click for a bigger copy.)

ironic ad

Some advertisers will avoid the more mainstream advertising techniques and instead use ironic ads. Ironic ads make fun of traditional ads, and by so doing they make the consumer feel like the product trusts them. In other words, the consumer is treated like she is too smart to actually be advertised to. A classic example is the Volkswagen ‘Think Small’ campaign. Volkswagen wants to make a claim of a unique selling proposition, so they emphasize not only the differences between this car and other cars on the market, but also the differences between this ad and other car ads. For instance, the car is shown very small and on a neutral, white background, making it look somewhat ridiculous. Most car ads would show the car in great detail and in a highly associative context. The slogan ‘Think Small’ is the opposite of what one expects a car ad to say, thus making fun of that more traditional style of advertising. (Then you would keep writing about the other techniques in the ad.)