ADV3624 Advertising and Popular CultureBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs DIGITAL GAME DESIGNGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
DIGITAL GAME DESIGN
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
ADV3624 Advertising and Popular Culture Fall
Spring
3 0 3 4
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Dr. Öğr. Üyesi HANDE BİLSEL
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: This course aims to teach students the evolution of popular culture in light of consumption sociology and advertising industry. Students will analyse the comparative discourses of advertising in various forms both historically, critically and also strategically. Students will also explore the role of advertising in contemporary culture and its connections to larger economic, social and political forces. From an investigation of advertising's crucial function in media economics and our wider capitalist system to a consideration of people who both make and watch advertising, this insightful course enables students to make sense of advertising's powerful influence as both an economic force and an artistic form.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
t the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Explore historical, social and economic forces and dynamics that have shaped consumer culture in light of advertising and marketing communications;
2. Assess the various claims of different perspectives on advertising and understand how they challenge and complicate one another;
3. Explore a brief history of advertising within the framework of consumer culture theory;
5.Develop understanding in analysing advertisements in terms of form, semiotics and ideology;
6. Breakdown the advertising audience through the use of fragmentation, segmentation and distinction;
7. Learn about the functioning and organizational structure of advertising agencies;
8. Explore the role of 'creativity' and art in making of advertising;
9.Explore different facets of consumer society by analysing consumer empowerment, engagement, interpretation and resistance;
10. Utilize the ways to present student's own research and debate.

Course Content

Week 1: Orientation
Week 2: Why study advertising?, Discussion of the various reasons why advertising matters in shaping of society and consumption
Week 3: The history of advertising: Contexts, transformations and continuity
Week 4: Analysing advertisements: Form, semiotics and ideology
Week 5: Advertising, capitalism and ideology, Consumer society and the magic system, Selling capitalism
Week 6: Advertising commodities and commodity fetishism, The life cycle of the commodity
Week 7: Midterm
Week 8: Audiences for sale: Quantification, segmentation and personalization
Conspicuous consumption, From nishification to personalization
Week 9: Advertising agencies: Organization, agency and internal conflict
Agency as form of chaos
Week 10: Advertising as art: From creativity to critique, Advertising changing the world, The stakes of advertising as art
Week 11: Presentations
Week 12:Empowering consumers: Engagement, interpretation and resistance, What does the audience get from advertising?, Active audiences online, Activist resistance to advertising
Week 13: The politics of advertising: Capitalism, resistance and liberalism
The power of advertising
Week 14: Chapter reviews and total wrap up

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Function of Myth and Archetypes in Formation of Life Narratives The Formation of Today’s Individual: The Hero of the Narrative Reading: Joseph Campbell, “Myth and Society”, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Princeton/Bollingen, NY, 1973, pp 381-391
2) The Economy and the Youth Market Technological Change Changes in the way we consume Reading: George Ritzer, “The Revolution in Consumption and the Larger Society”, Enchanting a Disenchanted World, Pine Forge, London, 2010, pp 23-45
3) The relationship between culture and economy Advertising as a transformative institution The practice of advertising and the new “cultural economy” Reading: Liz McFall, “The Hybridization of culture and economy”, Advertising: A Cultural Economy, Sage, London, 2004, pp 61-88
4) History of Globalization The Rise of Multinational Corporation Spreading images of “Good Life” Advertising and Culture Assignment Due Reading: Katherine Toland Frith & Barbara Mueller, “Advertising and Culture”, Advertising and Societies, Lang, NY, 2007, pp 1-54
5) Political Ideology of Consumption Commercializing Expression Consumption and Social Change Reading: Stuart Ewen, “The Political Ideology of Consumption”,Captains of Consciousness, Basic Books, NY, 2001, pp 51-109
6) The move to specification: Market Segmentation Advertising and the domain of meaning Gender and advertising The Codes of Marketplace and Commodity Fetishism Reading: Sut Jhally, “The Codes of Audience”, The Codes of Advertising, Routledge, London, 1990, pp 122-172
7) Midterm The first six weeks readings, discussions and lecture notes should be reviewed
8) Social Effects and Hidden Effects of Advertising Effects Model Culture Jamming So “why” does it sell? Reading: Marcel Danesi, “Advertising and Society”, Why It Sells, Rowman&Littlefield, Lanham, 2008, pp 175-194
9) Testing the limits of conventional advertising: The Benetton Affair Reading: Pasi Falk, “The Benetton-Toscani Effect”, Buy This Book, Routledge, NY, 1997, pp 64- 83
10) Commodity Bricolage Examples from Jeans Market Photographic Hyperrealism Levi’s and the art of Corporate Bricolage Reading: Robert Goldman, “Levi’s 501s and the Knowing Wink: Commodity Bricolage”, Reading Ads Socially, Routledge, NY, 2000, pp 173-201
11) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
12) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
13) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
14) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
15) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: • Nicholas Holm, Advertising and Consumer Society: A critical Introduction (2017), Palgrave,London.

References: Adbusters
AdFlip.com.
Advertising Bibliographies
Commercial Closet
False Advertising
Media Awareness Network
Zap a Vision
AdCritic

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 10 % 10
Homework Assignments 1 % 20
Presentation 1 % 10
Midterms 1 % 20
Final 1 % 40
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 12 3 36
Study Hours Out of Class 17 3 51
Presentations / Seminar 2 5 10
Homework Assignments 3 5 15
Midterms 1 7 7
Final 1 10 10
Total Workload 129

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) Comprehend the conceptual importance of the game in the field of communication, ability to implement the player centered application to provide design.
2) Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from various perspectives.
3) Analyze the key elements that make up specific game genres, forms of interactions, mode of narratives and understand how they are employed effectively to create a successful game.
4) Understand game design theories and methods as well as implement them during game development; to make enjoyable, attractive, instructional and immersive according to the target audience.
5) Understand the technology and computational principles involved in developing games and master the use of game engines.
6) Understand the process of creation and use of 2D and 3D assets and animation for video games.
7) Understand and master the theories and methodologies of understanding and measuring player experience and utilize them during game development process.
8) Comprehend and master how ideas, concepts and topics are conveyed via games followed by the utilization of these aspects during the development process.
9) Manage the game design and development process employing complete documentation; following the full game production pipeline via documentation.
10) Understand and employ the structure and work modes of game development teams; comprehend the responsibilities of team members and collaborations between them while utilizing this knowledge in practice.
11) Understand the process of game publishing within industry standards besides development and utilize this knowledge practice.
12) Pitching a video game to developers, publishers, and players; mastering the art of effectively communicating and marketing the features and commercial potential of new ideas, concepts or games.