OP-ADS

The term "Op-ad" is shorthand for "Opinion Advertisement," which can be defined as an "ad[] that promote[s] not things but opinions" (Atwan 149). Op-Ads are the visual form of an Op-Ed, which is a full-length article or column in which an author argues his or her opinion. In an op-ad, the opinion is disseminated through a more hybrid text -- an advertisement -- that uses both images and words as persuasive tools.

Below is an archive of different op-ads, categorized by whether they are published pieces or student samples. These op-ads vary in both quality and persuasiveness. As you look at them, consider which are the most successful and why. In many cases, the print might be too small to read, but you should still be able to assess how the image and words be used rhetorically to persuade the audience.

Note: These ads are saved in a variety of formats -- .doc, .pdf, .jpeg, and .ppt. Depending on your computer's capabilities, you may or may not be able to open the files.

 

Published Op-Ads Student Op-Ads
  • OpAd1: Topic - Anti-Smoking
  • OpAd2: Topic - Anti-Smoking (2)
  • OpAd3: Topic - English
  • OpAd4: Topic - "Fashion Victim"
  • OpAd5: Topic - American Indian College Fund
  • OpAd6: Topic - American Indian College Fund (2)
  • OpAd7: Topic - Physicians Against Landmines
  • OpAd8: Topic - Today's Military
  • OpAd9: Topic - Planned Parenthood
  • OpAd10: Topic - School Prayer
  • OpAd11: Topic - Teen-age Smoking
  • OpAd12: Topic - CARE
  • OpAd13: Topic - Children and Violence
  • OpAd14: Topic - Zero Population Growth
  • OpAds15 & 16: Topic - Detroit Project (scroll to bottom for "Talking Heads" and "George" ads) - requires Real Player
  • OpAd1: Topic - Magazines' impact on young girls
  • OpAd2: Topic - Tobacco advertising to children
  • OpAd3: Topic - Dependence on western medicine
  • OpAd4: Topic - Tourism and Hawaii
  • OpAd5: Topic - Early Admissions programs
  • OpAd6: Topic - Year-Round Education
  • OpAd7: Topic - Year-Round Education (2)
  • OpAd8: Topic - Alcohol on campus
  • OpAd9: Topic - Messiahs & Matrix & Star Wars
  • OpAd10: Topic - Truth Ads
  • OpAd11: Topic - Internet Advertising
  • OpAd12: Topic - Disney movies and subliminal images
  • OpAd13: Topic - Radio and Racist Stereotypes
  • OpAd14: Advertising and Gender Stereotypes
work cited
Atwan, Robert, ed. America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. 3rd edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.