Subvertisment Assignment
Overview of Assignment
Step 1: Choose an advertising campaign, the campaign may be print based, electronic or both. You must choose a current campaign (anything in the past 10 years -2012 to 2022). You should be creative in your choice. The campaign can be for a product/service, a political party, a PSA, or third party advertising.
You may choose whatever medium you are most comfortable with: it could be a print ad, or a brief video, internet or viral ad, or radio jingle.
Step 2: Do background research on campaign, the company, or the social and political issues in relation to that campaign, the company, the product, or consumer culture in general.
You need to base your critique on some real information and knowledge, and not just on your own opinion. This is important as all critique has to be based on knowledge and information.
Places to consult include
a) the company’s website
b) business databases from Yorku library
c) trade publications such as Advertising Age, Marketing Magazine.
d) any other legitimate or accredited source.
There are many resources on the
While this is not a research essay, it does require some background research. You should have at least 2-3 external sources for this paper. Depending on the type of resources you are working with and the campaign you are working on you might find plenty more.
Step 3: Create a new ad that uses the tropes of the original, but in doing so makes a social or political comment on the original campaign or product. There has to be a subversive tactic to this. Turning an ad for orange juice into an ad for milk, only changes the ad, it is not a subvertisement.
Step 4:
Write a 500 word reflection on what you are commenting on in your subvertisement.
What are the political (subversive) messages you are stating?
Justify how your subvertisement offers a political commentary
Explain your reasoning as to why this is an important issue that is worthy of being jammed.
Explain how you are jamming the ad – what are the semiotics of your new campaign.
Explain how you have subverted the meaning.