Kodak, 1901

Critical Analysis of Advertising Message

Who is the intended audience of the message?
The intended audience is men and women who are parents. The upper class who can afford a luxury item.

What elements of the message make it an effective (or ineffective) form of persuasion?
It is an effective form of persuasion because the illustration portrays a child using the camera with a smile on her face. The copy emphasizes that it would be a great Christmas present. 

How does the message utilize and/or influence popular culture?
At this time cameras were relatively new so this was trying to influence popular culture by making cameras an everyday  item. During this time there was developing leisure time for families.

Comprehensive Analysis 

Describe the theme of advertising that you choose:

• What they are selling- Cameras
• The time period the ad would fit into- 1901
• The advertising method they used- The headline is very large and the picture is centered. This draws the reader's attention to the product and what it has to offer.
• Why the item or product would be important to someone from that time period- Cameras were an incredible invention at the time and were not common in households yet. People being able to record their own memories was a phenomenal experience.

How advertising is a reflection of and a form of culture during the time period

Identify examples and portrayals of various ethnic, racial, and other stereotypes
-The little girl is dressed in very large ruffled clothing, an indication of the acceptable clothing in the early 1900's. Of course the little girl being portrayed is a white girl because other races were not allowed to embrace advertisements yet.

http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa_K0440/