09 Nov “The ad and the Ego” documentary reflection
Students will write a 2 to 3 page ethical assessment of the DVD documentary, The Ad and the Ego.
The essay must treat three elements:
(1) a general description of the documentary, with a discussion of its chief aim or purpose.
(2) identification of salient (key) ethical issues raised by the practices/techniques of advertising and marketing; then indicate why, in the students estimation, these are morally important or crucial in some way. To help you identify these issues, consider the main subsections of the documentary: In the beginning (a history of advertising); Moving the masses (propaganda); Dream life; Consuming Culture; Protecting Our Way of Life; and Media and Democracy.
(3) evaluation of moral issues. Drawing insights and observations from William Cavanaughs Being Consumed, assess how the documentary supports, extends or amplifies Cavanaughs contention that modern consumers are more detached than attached.
