Advertising Strategies

The Advanced Writing class of the Loyola Intensive English Program is beginning our summer session with a challenging assignment: Each student has been asked to choose a product, to examine advertisements for that product, and to analyze the types of advertising strategies employed.

To prepare for this, the class formed groups to create advertisements of their own. Each group chose a product, selected one or more advertising strategies, and used the elements of visuals, sounds, action, speech, and text to create an attractive advertisement. Their work is illustrated below.

One group chose to advertise dark chocolate and oat granola cookies. This group used visuals, action, speech, and text to promote their product. They employed these strategies:

• An appeal to the desire both for good taste and for good health
• An appeal to environmental consciousness by mentioning that the cookies are packaged in recycled material
• Provision of easy access at a good price
• Association of the product with movie stars

The group's poster, advertising dark chocolate and oat granola cookies

Alaa Mufti of Saudi Arabia displays a box of dark chocolate and oat granola cookies

Angélica Aguirre of Ecuador and Félix Garmendia of Venezuela taste the yummy cookies!

Another group chose to advertise a chocolate bar. This group used visuals, action, and speech to promote their product. They employed these strategies:

• An appeal to the desire for health
• An appeal to the desire for happiness
• Trustworthiness of scientific research
• Good bargain, with guarantee of a refund if dissatisfied
• Association with an idyllic scene

Rosa Cevallos of Ecuador and Jorge Kawas of Honduras display their poster of a tropical paradise. Their advertisement associates the chocolate bar with this idyllic scene.

Rosa Cevallos of Ecuador displays the chocolate bar.

Jorge Kawas of Honduras and Rosa Cevallos of Ecuador taste the delicious chocolate bar!

A third group chose to advertise a mosquito net for the head. This group used visuals, sounds, action, speech, and text to promote their product. They employed these strategies:

• An appeal to health
• Convenience of carrying
• Good price

The group's poster, advertising the mosquito net for the head

The mosquito net

The mosquito net, modeled by Emmanuel Priva of Haiti

Now, with the experience of having thought through their own advertising strategies, the class will move on to analyze advertising strategies employed online, on television, or in magazines. In our next two posts, we will share their analyses with you!