An Analysis of a Film Poster or Advertisement

Analyze a film poster or advertisement. It can be printed or electronic. Break the image down into its parts and examine its rhetorical message and appeals to understand how it persuades.

Begin with an introduction that catches readers’ interest, offers background information on the poster or advertisement (and the film being advertised, if needed), and includes a clearly stated thesis (a claim or argument about your advertisement). Describe the visual text in great detail in the paragraph that follows before moving on to your analysis; readers should have a pretty clear mental image of the ad without having to see it. End with a conclusion that returns to the big picture for a sense of closure and makes final comments about the significance of your analysis.