Ad Analysis

Gun Control
Gun control is a big issue in America today. This ad is very controversial. It shows the battle between races, the education of individuals from different backgrounds, and the big issue of gun control. This ad has many captions, but the one that stands out the most is “One child is holding something that has been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one?” The background of this ad is a library, yet there is a child sitting there with a gun, while the other one is holding a book. At first glance, one would think that the bigger problem are guns, but with further analyzation other problems in America become evident.
The artistic components of this ad are what stand out the most. The whole background is very dull and depressing. It becomes clear that there is a problem. The caption talks about things being banned in America. Since the African American girl is holding a book, this could be argued to be the topic of the ad. African Americans were once banned from learning to read and write. On the other hand, the Caucasian girl is holding a gun. Even though guns are not banned in America there are restrictions on them. Just from looking at the ad, this is the more plausible answer. There is also a sub caption that says “We keep ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ out of schools because of the bottle of wine in her basket. Why not assault weapons?”
Another key component of this ad, is the facial expressions. Looking at the Caucasian girls’ expression, it is hard to decipher what she is feeling. She is neither frowning nor smiling, but it seems as though she is comfortable with holding a gun. This says a lot about what is normal for her. Even though the African American girl is holding a book, her expression is also unreadable.
To better understand this ad, it is helpful to look at the clothing of the children. Their clothing colors are bright, but seem to be so dull. For example, the African American girl’s colors are pink, gray, and brown. Pink is...