AdBusters

1) Choose one of the Adbusters spoof ads in the "food" category and write an analysis of the ad. First, describe the ad visually. Next, explain what the ad is referencing and how it is spoofing the referenced work. Finally, provide your own response: how successful is the spoof? Why does/doesn't it work? Write a minimum of 200 words.



Visual Description

The setting of the ad appears to be a hospital emergency room. Three doctors/surgeons are huddled around an operating table and appear to be working intently on a patient. A clip board rests on the lower portion of the operating table and other medical equipment can be faintly seen in the background. The medical professionals are wearing blue operating gowns with white facial masks. The patient is covered by a white sheet, and only the underside of his feet visible.

In the foreground of the ad, an EKG machine takes up half of the visual space int he ad. On the screen, the lines form the shape of the McDonald's arch, which eventually flat lines. The text "Big Mac Attack" appears on the bottom portion of the EKG .



Reference and Spoofing

The ad references the damaging health effects of consuming fast food, specifically McDonalds's. It is basically saying that all fast food eaters are at an increased risk of heart attack. It hints at the fact that Americans are becoming lazy, thus relying on fast food, which leads to health problems. The ad is particularly effective because it makes use of a advertising symbol that most Americans are very familiar with, the Micky's D's arch. The spoof of McDonald's is cleverly played, because it places a very familiar image in a very unfamiliar place. Americans would not normally think of seeing the arch in an operating room.

Overall, I find the ad to be very successful. Heart attacks have become very common in the United States. I would bet it would be very hard to find someone who has not been directly affected by, or at least known someone who has suffered a heart attack. The ad is successful because it presents a very real possibility to those people who do not adopt a healthy lifestyle. It allows the viewer to picture themselves as the one on the operating table. Also, I feel it does a good job by targeting McDonalds specifically. They are the fast food king, and by targeting them, they are, in a sense, sending the message that all fast food places are unhealthy.

(I tryed to upload a picture of the ad, but my lack of computer skills prevented this, I apologize)

((Alan))