ANALYSING AN AD
Scan the ad. Answer the following questions:
1.What is the overall purpose of the ad? Persuade? Inform?
Influence?
2. Who is the target audience? How do you know this?
3. What might the ad be appealing to? Is there any use of
ethos, pathos or logos? Does this align with the
demographic?
4. What visual/verbal features are used? Refer to the chart
on the next page.
5. What is the relationship between pictures (images/signs)
and written material (text/language)? What about the
language used in the ad - does it provide information, create
some form of emotional response, present its message
authoritatively, humorously etc?
6. How are visual and verbal features used to fulfil the
purpose of the ad?
.
VISUAL techniques have to do with what the
VERBAL techniques have to do with what the
words look like on the page. e.g. font, size,
words actually say.
colour, placement.
Verbal language features:
Visual language features:
 Slogan
 Lettering: includes font, size and colour
 Cliché
 Dominant image (or images) – avoid
using ‘pictures’ – photograph is better.
 Repetition
 Reverse print (white print on coloured
 Neologism
background)
 Colloquial language
 Infographics
 Slang
 Background (e.g. images, fuzzy, colour)
 Incomplete sentences
 Foreground
 Short sentences
 Layout (placement of elements on the
 Minor sentences
page – includes ‘balance’.
 Imperatives (commands)
 Superimposed images
 Emotive language
 White space (also called ‘empty space’)
 Puns
 Images: consider gender, ethnicity,
 Alliteration/assonance
consumer group (teenager, middle Onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor,
aged. elderly, parents etc)
personification
 Use of contrast
 Rhetorical questions
 Rule of thirds (no more than three main
 Personal pronoun (especially ‘You/
colours/fonts/sections)
you’re/your in and advertisement)

Movement lines
 Superlatives (e.g. the best/the most
 Colour- different colours have
biggest, tallest, prettiest, tastiest,
connotations e.g. pink/femininity,
strongest)
green/nature and cleanliness, black/evil
 Jargon
and danger
 Use of a particular language (e.g. Maori)
 Logo
to target a particular audience.
 Rhyme
VISUAL & VERBAL TECHNIQUES
IN FILM
Visual Techniques might include:
 camera work
 editing
 lighting
 set
 costume
 positioning and movement of characters
 graphic style
 mis en scene
Verbal Techniques might include:
 dialogue
 intonation
 pitch
 pace
 captions
 call-out boxes
 music
 sound effects
 voice-over and language techniques

the deliberate omission of any of these
techniques