Week 3, Activity 3

1. Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why?
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers created and paid for this ad as part of a marketing campaign.

2. Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.? What words, images or sounds suggest this?
This ad is targeted at middle-aged, upper-middle class socioeconomic status women in White Suburbia. The couple appears to be professionals. They appear to live in a nice home and dress fashionably.

3. What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings, logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, an honest to goodness meal, healthy, fresh, crisp

4. What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?)
There seemed to go several messages...you don't want to be like your mother, it's ok to ignore your wife when she's rambling.

5. What kind of lifestyle is presented? How?
The couple seems to live an upper-middle class lifestyle - nice home, clean kitchen, well dressed.

6. What values are expressed?
The commercial's values appear to be the importance of appearance and not being like your parents.

7. What tools of persuasion are used? See "The language of persuasion"
This ad uses humor, testimonals and plain folks as tools of persuasion.

8. What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?
Positive messages in this message include, eating healthy, affordable, quick and easy meals.
Negative messages in this message include, mother/daughter relationship, ignoring a spouse, using medical procedures to look younger.

9. What groups of people does this message empower? What groups does it disempower? How does this serve the media maker's interests?
This message empowers young middle-class people and disempowers older women.

10. What part of the story is not being told? How and where could you get more information about the untold stories?
The actual story of the food is not being told...like nutritional values, price. You could find this information by reading the products website.

My interpretation didn't go into the depth that the sample did. I didn't have the background information on the parent company. Had I done more research, I would have probably found this additional information.