English 1302

 Due: Monday, Feb. 19
For this assignment, you will need to carefully analyze an argument, looking at the claims and support it uses, as well was the warrants it requires, in order to counteract it. To begin, choose an advertisement that gets to you. Maybe you feel duped by the ad, or had a bad expereince with the product or service. What about the argument that the ad makes causes you to feel that way? Do you disagree with its warrants? What about what it is claiming? Do you feel the claim is not supported by the evidence that is provided? What is the evidence, if any? What kind of appeals does it make? If it makes logical appeals, are they solid, or fallacies? Is there vial information that is left out?

Use this analysis to construct an ad of your own that counteracts the ad. Think of this as being along the lines of a parody – copy the format of the ad, but use your own images or text to provide evidence to counteract the claim of the original ad.

You might choose a print ad, a television commercial, a movie poster or trailer, a website, or any other kind of commericial material. One successful project I was was a response to a Subway napkin comparing their sandwiches to competitors’ hamburgers. This particular strategy is guilty of stacking the evidence, and the student counteracted Subway’s carefully selected information by telling the whole story and offering a fairer comparison between products.

When you make your project, think about it with an eye to presenting it to your classmates. Make it neat, large, clear, and eye-catching. If you are responding to a TV commercial or a movie trailer, make a video of your response. You get the idea. If you don’t, please talk to me and we’ll work it out.

What you will turn in:

1. the original item, if possible, or an internet link to the site where it can be found

2. A Toulmin analysis of the item (approx. 1 page)

3. A brief audience analysis, in which you discuss who the target audience for the ad is, and why you think so

4. Your Anti-Ad or Argument-in-Kind