The desire to target specific demographics has challenged television as the automatic medium of choice for ad buyers. The advertising industry has begun to explore a new set of media, the most contestedof which is the Internet. Other goals of this course are to examine the rhetoric and images that celebrate and critique the advent of this new medium and to give you the skills to navigate the digital landscape. Some of your assignments will be to evaluate online marketing schemes. Finally, it is crucial to remember that while we are studying advertising, our primary mission is to generate a deeper understanding of the contentious cultural moment in which we live.
Attendance is mandatory and imperative.
Lectures will emphasize and elaborate upon only certain aspects of the reading and will also present material not included in it. Therefore, to derive full benefit from this course and to do well, it is crucial that you keep up with the reading and that you attend class. Your participation in class lecture discussion, and especially your participation in the discussion sections, will be seriously considered in determining your final grade. Using and evaluating resources on the Internet, specifically the World Wide Web, is integral to the class. In addition to two lectures by Karla Tonella, the Information Arcade's Internet specialist, each discussion section will have a hands-on training session.