Use the following questions to deconstruct an ad.

I USED AD# 3

1. Describe the ad as if you were explaining it to someone who

couldn’t see it.
The ad insinuates a sexual undertone when referring to buying
used cars. The metaphor is seen by someone losing their virginity
the same as a car being used.

2. SOURCE: What company / product / service / good is the

advertisement for?
The advertisement is for BMW used cars.

3. AUDIENCE: Who is the “target audience” for this ad? What do

you think their age, race, sex/gender, ethnicity, class, profession,
interests, etc. are? What suggests this?
Adults who need a car. They were most likely trying to attract
straight men who sexualize women because they used a sensual
picture of a women to lure them in.

4. TEXT: What is the “text” of the message? (Literal meaning)

(what are they selling?)
They are selling used BMW’s.

5. SUBTEXT: What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do

you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?) (What are they
actually selling?)
They are saying that if you’re willing to have sex with a woman
who has been “used” before, and/or lost her virginity, you
shouldn’t have a problem with buying a used car.
6. PERSUASION TECHNIQUES: What persuasion techniques
were used in the ad?
They made the user think about the pleasure of sex and
compared it to how it would be owning a used BMW.

7. POINT OF VIEW: What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it

glamorized? How?
A sexual lifestyle is very glamorized in today’s society by the
straight male community because they see having sex as scoring
points in a game and not as it truly is.

8. What is the ad trying to get you to buy, do, or think?

The ad wants you to buy a used car by comparing it to the
pleasure of sex.

9. Whom is being harmed by this ad? How?

Women are being harmed by being taken advantage of and
treated as a trophy.

10. Do you think it’s an effective ad? Why or why not?

Only for the men who are low life enough to fall for it. As for a
typical audience, I think it would just be more shocking than
effective.

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT (this is not optional):

I actually liked this project because I thought it was interesting how so many women are objectified and
taken advantage of in these ads but not one man.