PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS

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PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS
A look at the evolution, function and genre of print advertisements

by Andrea Johnson

"PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS" illustrates that the form and content of contemporary print ads are both influenced and constrained by their belonging to the genre of print advertisements. The genre of print ads requires that print ads have a particular form and content. Though the requirements for form and content are not set in stone, there are certain boundaries. In regards to form, print ads always use the print medium, their structure and style can however vary. The content of print ads includes written text and/ or images, it can't include voice-overs, moving images as these are not supported by the medium.

Although form and content are both influenced and constrained by belonging to the genre of print ads, a look at contemporary print ads shows that in most cases the form of print ads influences the content of the ads. In other words, the form of the print ad influences the amount, location, complexity and type of content within the print advertisement.

Print ads perform several functions. The functions of print advertisements include: to sell, inform, entertain and criticize. These functions may also be combined, so that a print ad may function to sell as well as entertain, or to inform as well as criticize.

Source: http://www.adflip.com ; http://www.adbusters.org