Most textbooks dealing with the subject are massive, expensive, and loaded with social-science jargon. For example, the depiction of a Nike shoe as a fireman's rescue net in a TV ad is simply a metaphor, calling attention to the soft, cushioning effect of the shoe. Most modern advertising practice conforms to the rules of ancient rhetoric, and most modern advertising theory is just re-inventing the wheel. This seminar will explore how advertising works rhetorically. Work will include in-class reports and a group project.
Attendance is mandatory.
Daniel F. Melia teaches both in the Rhetoric Department and in the Celtic Studies Program. This seminar arises from his interest in the operation of rhetoric in everyday life.