Advertisment Speech

The purpose of this exercise is to help you become more familiar with the use of visual aids, researching and organizing speeches.

Part 1: You will make a copy of a current magazine advertisement. I want you to examine the ad and think of these questions:
  • a) Who is the targeted audience? (for example, what age group, ethnicity, socioeconomic group)
  • b) What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?
  • c) What values and points of view are being presented? Beyond the product, what else is the ad "selling?"
  • d) What stories are not being told in this advertisement?
    • Part 2: Put together a short speech-2-3 minutes-that answers these general questions. Enlarge the advertisement so it can be used as a visual aid (a transparency or overhead can be used instead). Practice your speech-introduction, body and conclusion-and including your visual aid into the speech.

    Part 3: You will present your speech to the class. It is non-graded (P/NP). Do it and you pass. Don't do it and you don't pass. No make up speeches.

    Now remember this: there is no way to be incorrect with your interpretation of the advertisement because all people interpret media differently. There are no "incorrect" answers, only incomplete answers. So fear not that someone might disagree with your ideas.

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