<p>Ad Parody Assignment</p><p>A parody is a literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule.</p><p>Create your own parody of a national print advertisement that will not only grab an audience's attention but will subvert or undermine the original purpose of the ad. Many good ad parodies are funny, but funny is not essential. A parody that is unsettling works too. The key is to point out a deeper truth, something the real ad is not telling you, or turn the meaning of the ad in on itself. Ideally, your parody should be more than a joke or another version of the same thing. It should make some sort of critical political/cultural/social statement. Whether the issue is related to the environment, health, labor, media influence, or another cause, you might want to do some research to support your point. Make sure that the criticism of the product or the ad is clear. Before you decide on an idea, ask yourself: If my parody ran in a national magazine, would readers understand the point I am making? Would they understand that it is a parody?</p><p>If you are creating a parody of a specific ad, include the original ad in your folder.</p><p>Devices advertisers use to sell the product:</p><p>Card Stacking: The strategy of showing the product’s best features, telling half- truths, and omitting or lying about its potential problems. </p><p>Testimonial: The use of well-known, respected people to endorse a product or service.</p><p>Glittering Generalities: The act of referring to words or ideas that evoke a positive emotional response from an audience. Virtue words are often used. </p><p>Transfer: The act of relating something or someone we like or respect with a product. Symbols are constantly used in this form of propaganda.</p><p>Plain Folks: The use of everyday people to sell a product or service. Speakers and ads appear to make the person to be “one of the people.”</p><p>Bandwagon: Bandwagon attempts to persuade the target audience to take a course of action "everyone else is taking." "Join the crowd." This technique reinforces people's natural desire to be on the winning side. </p><p>Name calling: The use of names that evoke fear or hatred in the viewer. The name-calling technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol. Ad parody reflection:</p><p>Write a one page reflection describing </p><p>-your target audience and why your ad would appeal to them. </p><p>-first thing someone would notice about your ad </p><p>-why you included the information you did</p><p>-the propaganda technique(s) used in the original ad. </p><p>-the propaganda technique(s) you used and HOW you used them.</p>