For this activity, you will start working on your comparison template. The final comparison template is not due until learning block 2-4. In this
assignment, get started on your template and fill out the template for questions 1-5 for at least two of your selected ads. Make at least two comparison
statements in row 4 and answer both prompts in row 5.Use the Comparison Template for this draft and review the Comparison Template Exemplar for guidance
on how to fill out the template
SCS 100 Theme 1: Comparison Template
Ad 1: Ad 2: Ad 3: Ad 4:
1. Question(s) related to how individuals are represented in the ads
2. Questions related to how groups and group behavior are represented in the ad
3. Questions related to how culture and cultural identity are represented (or not represented) in the ad
4. How do the ads compare to each other?
5. What overall observations might a social scientist be interested in studying in relation to the themes present in these advertisements?
What larger questions about human interactions might they ask?
SCS 100 Theme 1: Comparison Template Exemplar
Ad 1: Freddo Ice Cream Ad 2: Milky Way Caramel
Wedding
Ad 3: Celebrations: Gym Ad 4: Antonio
Federici Ice Cream
1. Question(s) related
to how individuals are
represented in the ads
Why is the “candidate” a young
white male?
What are we supposed to
assume, as consumers, about
this individual (the candidate)?
What assumptions are we
supposed to make about the
individual characteristics or
appearance of the bride?
Why do I perceive some
individual faces in the crowd
as angrier than others?
Why does the ad encourage us
to consider the bride as selfish
or guilty for eating chocolate?
Why are women stereotyped as
loving sweets, and lacking the
maturity to resist sweets?
How does athletic competition
change the way individuals
interact with one another?
Can a competitive environment
change an individual’s
personality?
Is it normal for individuals to
celebrate or express relief if
they are somehow benefitting
from someone else’s
misfortune?
Does indulging in items
considered “guilty pleasures”
(such as ice cream) actually
increase an individual’s feelings
of guilt?
Why do cultures often
associate women with
committing the “sin” of selfindulgence in sweets?
Why is this viewed in the
culture as humorous?
What are ways in which
sensory perception around
sweet tastes are gendered?
Is there a physiological
component?
2. Questions related to
how groups and group
behavior are
represented in the ad
Why are both “servers” girls,
while most of the crowd and
the candidate is male?
Why are there not any diverse
faces in the crowd? Why are
various races or ethnicities not
featured in the ad?
Are the minority guests
intentionally grouped or
coupled together in the
crowd?
How do sports teams express
dominance or power over
competitors outside of the
actual event?
How do elite athlete teams
(where players qualify based
on skill) behave when
compared to intramural athlete
teams (where everyone
qualifies to be on the team)?
How do religious orders
such as nuns establish
expectations for behavior?
Are there differences in the
way males and females
interpret Bible stories or
lessons?3. Questions related to
how culture and cultural
identity are represented
(or not represented) in
the ad
Are the red, white, and blue
“vote” signs meant to signify a
specific country or culture?
What does political voting have
to do with ice cream and is this
culture specific?
Does the setting in a church
and the presence of religious
symbols (e.g., cross, priest)
change how we view the ad?
Would this ad be perceived
differently by members of
other cultures, where lateness
is normal and more accepted?
How do different cultures
across the globe “celebrate”
with different types of food?
How do highly competitive
cultures view the ad when
compared to less competitive
cultures?
Is religion important to Italian
culture?
How have perceptions of
guilt and guilty behavior
changed over time in Italian
culture?
4. How do the ads
compare to each other?
All the ads are featuring candy or ice cream. Three of the ads distinctly feature women eating the treats, while the fourth features
women serving ice cream to a crowd that is gathered around a boy. Two of the ads, in particular, bring up the concepts of guilt
and religion (or disrespect of religion) as it relates to women eating ice cream or chocolate. The other two ads feature a
competitive setting (a political election and a gymnastics event) and the idea that individuals “celebrate” with sweets. Three of the
four ads include very little or no racial/ethnic diversity. Three of the four ads depict women behaving questionably—making a
roomful of wedding guests wait, “celebrating” potential harm to a competitor, and a nun eating ice cream while pregnant. Social
scientists would likely be interested in this theme of exploring human behavior in relationship to food.
5. What overall
observations might a
social scientist be
interested in studying in
relation to the themes
present in these
advertisements? What
larger questions about
human interactions
might they ask?
Social scientists would likely be interested in the way women are portrayed in the ads, specifically the way the ads show women
serving others or behaving questionably. Social scientists would be interested in how the ads build on or depart from expected
roles and behaviors for women.
Based on these observations, social scientists might ask questions such as:
How do contests or competitions impact women’s behavior and change society’s expectations for women?
How do ads and media reinforce gender stereotypes around expected female behavior?
How do men and women experience feelings of guilt differently, especially around foods and sweets?
