1984 Apple’s Macintosh Commercial

This is a very famous advertisement from Apple computer. There are many ways you could approach this ad. One way to approach this ad is as an example of branding. What is the brand image Apple is seeking to build here? How is this ad constructed to build the brand? 

To get started it might help to recall Rose’s template of methodological ‘sites’ (e.g. production, audiencing, the image itself, circulation) as focal points for analyzing visual materials. In a short assignment like this, it would probably be a good idea to focus attention and analysis on one or two specific sites rather than trying to say a little bit about several of them. For example, if your analysis approaches your selected image from the perspective of production or circulation, then you should not feel compelled to talk in depth about audience reception. Focusing and limiting the scope of your analysis will help keep the task manageable because it helps you clarify what you will want or need to talk about.

Excellent papers will identify key features in the image or clip and build an analysis using (and citing!) at least two concepts from discussed in the course or the readings. There are many ways to approach this task, however I encourage you to link the visible features of the object to an explanation how these features contribute to the creation or curation of the meaning of the image or clip, manifest a mythical or ideological framework, or participate within the broader social activity and entanglements of everyday life.