Rubin's Essay Questions & Summary

1. The insight that Rubin offers about the Coca-Cola ad revolves around the ad targeting specific people in the workforce, and then placing them on the poster based on levels of importance. The evidence she provides to support her analysis is described in each area of the ad that she analyzes and connects the relevance of the time period to her opinions of what the ad is saying and how. For example, in paragraph two on page 180, she says; "Another important factor to consider: everyone in the ad is white. During the 1950's there was still a great deal of racial prejudice and segregation in the United States. Coca-Cola was attuned to white society's racial intolerance and chose in this ad to depict what they undoubtedly saw as average Americans, the primary demographic of the audience for this publication: Coca-Cola employees."  She persuaded me to accept her conclusions and agree with her analysis by supporting conclusions she made with strong, factual evidence.

2. She incorporates historical context by connecting the time period to specific points in the ad and explaining why the ad was designed how it was. This information contributes to her analysis because the historical context heavily supports her opinions and ideas about the ad. For example, in paragraph three on page 180, she says; "In 1950, then, the kind of diversity that Coke wanted to highlight and appeal to was economic and war - related. Today, such an ad would probably represent the ethnic diversity missing from the 1950's version, with smiling, young people of diverse skin colors and racial features relaxing with Cokes, probably now in can rather than bottles."

3. The main question that I would answer using this analysis in what ways has advertising evolved in the last sixty years? What specific events lead up to this change in American culture?

4. Ads like this 2014 Infusium product have represented how much power attractive women have in magazine ads. This ad is not even related to men yet there is a sex appeal hinted to draw attention. I think that even though the context of ads may have changed over time, the white men will always be the main focus of most advertisements.
 

Summary

Rubin's essay reflects a relevant analysis to compare ad's in the past to present day advertising, and how specific characteristics have changed over time. This analysis is relevant because Rubin establishes authority in describing aspects of the ads in a way that any audience can comprehend. She begins the essay by discussing why advertisements are created in the first place; to persuade.  She then goes into detail as to how "specific advertisements are tailored to their audience via text and images that reflect and appeal to the ideas, values, and stereotypes..." From there, she goes into describing how these points are relevant in the Coca-Cola ad by directly correlating them to thoughts she has applied to the ad. She directs act aspect of the ad and explains why it is relevant that the ad was designed a specific way. For example, she relates the time period of the ad to the amount of white makes pictured in the ad, as this would be Coca-Cola's main targeted audience. She closes her analysis by explaining how Coca-Cola has "reflected the values of the time, their enormous success eventually meant that Coke ads helped shape the American identity."