Save for later

Advertising and Society

This course examines the relation of advertising to society, culture, history, and the economy. Using contemporary theories about visual communications, we learn to analyze the complex levels of meaning in both print advertisements and television commercials. About the Course The course covers a wide range of topics, including the origins of advertising, the creation of ads, the interpretation of ads, the depiction of race, class, gender, and sexuality in advertising, sex and selling, adverting and ethics, and the future of advertising. The lectures will discuss theoretical frameworks and apply them to specific advertisements. Course Syllabus Week 1: What is advertising and where did it come from? Week 2: Am I being manipulated by advertising? Week 3: What’s in an ad beyond that which meets the eye? Week 4: How do ads get made? Week 5: What do ads teach us about race, class, gender, and sexuality? Week 6: Does sex sell? Week 7: What is the future of advertising? Recommended Background No background is required; everyone is welcome! Suggested Readings Although the lectures are designed to be self-contained, we recommend that students refer to the free online textbook ADTextOnline.org. Other free resources will be suggested for each week’s module. Course Format Most videos will be lectures with instructor talking. Each lecture will be illustrated with PowerPoint slides, print advertisements, and TV commercials. The videos for each week will consist of segments that add up to about an hour. Each week will have one quiz that will appear as stand-alone homework. All resources beyond lectures will be available online to students at no charge. Most of these will be from ADTextOnline.org. Others will be visits to the sites of ad agencies in the US and abroad, open access websites that deal with course topics, and open-access journal articles.

Get Details and Enroll Now

OpenCourser is an affiliate partner of Coursera and may earn a commission when you buy through our links.

Get a Reminder

Send to:
Rating 4.7★ based on 78 ratings
Length 8 weeks
Starts Jul 3 (42 weeks ago)
Cost $49
From Duke University via Coursera
Instructor Professor William M. O'Barr
Download Videos On all desktop and mobile devices
Language English
Subjects Social Sciences Business
Tags Social Sciences Business Marketing Economics

Get a Reminder

Send to:

Similar Courses

What people are saying

great course

Great course if you're interested in advertising or work for a creative agency.

The course is very helpful Great course.

Great course on the basics behind the analysis of the sociological dimensions of advertising.

Very vast knowledge Great course.

its a very good site to learn what ever you want to learn relet to your study It was a great course where I learned a lot about not just advertisement but also the society we live in and how it effects the way advertisements have evolved over the years.

very useful subject I love how the mooc is making me analyse everything around me Great course!

Read more

very useful course

Very useful course.

This is a very useful course.

very useful course What a great course!

Read more

very interesting

Very interesting and valuable!

The subject is very interesting, however material used in this course is outdated and relevant to present situation in a very limited way.

My first course about advertising ever, it was very interesting and the knowledge i learned, i'm sure gonna be useful!

Very interesting!

Read more

look at advertising

I have learned how to look at advertising from a more long-term focused perspective.

Informative and thought-provoking, this course will equip you with the tools you need to look at advertising with a critical eye and to understand its relationship with our modern world beyond what meets the eye.

Read more

learn a lot

Ican learn a lot of not only advertising but also society.

It has helped me learn a lot and given me much more perspective on the world of advertising.

Read more

professor o'barr

In conclusion, thank you so much fort his course, and I would'nt imagine a person other than Professor O'Barr to deliver this course.

Professor O'Barr is also an excellent teacher, and his passion for the material inspires you to continue learning, even beyond what's mentioned in the lectures.

Read more

so much

This course is so informative and interesting, making me think about pursuing advertising so much!

T Really enjoyed reviewing advertisements and literally learning that there's so much more to it han meets the eye.

think about

Very interesting cours, a lot of things to think about.

It provided me with great of information and gave me a lot to think about, to research further and pay more attention to the advertising around me.

advertising from

That was good experience in learning many aspects of advertising from the history to future of advertising.

Careers

An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile.

Actress, Dancer, Print Model $33k

Assistant Print Media Specialist $34k

Print designer, photo retoucher $39k

Print and Online Designer $57k

Associate Designer, Print and Pattern $60k

Custom Print Specialist $69k

Supervisor Print Coordinator $71k

Sales Representative, Managed Print Services Specialist $72k

Print Edition Producer, Metromix $81k

Managed Print Services Specialist Consultant $96k

Print Program Manager $138k

Print Customer Service Representative Manager $140k

Write a review

Your opinion matters. Tell us what you think.

Please login to leave a review
Login or register with your email instead.
Rating 4.7★ based on 78 ratings
Length 8 weeks
Starts Jul 3 (42 weeks ago)
Cost $49
From Duke University via Coursera
Instructor Professor William M. O'Barr
Download Videos On all desktop and mobile devices
Language English
Subjects Social Sciences Business
Tags Social Sciences Business Marketing Economics

Similar Courses

Sorted by relevance

Like this course?

Here's what to do next:

  • Save this course for later
  • Get more details from the course provider
  • Enroll in this course
Enroll Now

Special thanks to our sponsors