COMM 287 Exam 2 (60+ Questions) – Advertising Theory, Child Marketing, Obesity Politics – Sut Jhally,

This document includes over 60 accurately answered multiple-choice questions for COMM 287 – Advertising and Society, based on Sut Jhally’s lectures and communication theory, prepared for Exam 2 in the 2025/2026 academic year at the University of Communication Studies. It explores the ideological, psychological, and economic mechanisms behind modern advertising, particularly how advertising influences identity, public health, and childhood development. Topics covered span both theoretical and applied dimensions of media influence, including: Advertising formats: product info, image association, personalization, lifestyle, and the “fifth stage” involving emotional impact and shock value Semiology and resonance theory: how advertising constructs meaning through cultural codes and familiar narratives The transition from product-based to consumer-based marketing, including concepts like transfer of meaning, partipulation, and self-referential messaging The politics of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising, “me-too” drugs, and the corporate framing of health solutions The commercialization of childhood through strategies like neuromarketing, cradle-to-grave branding, age compression, and the nag factor The rise of chronic diseases, especially childhood obesity, as a political and economic outcome of advertising and processed food systems Sociocultural critiques of materialism, social isolation, and market-driven values, replacing creative play and community with commodified leisure Additional insights into advertising psychology (cortex, limbic, reptilian responses), environmental consequences (SUV culture, CO₂ emissions), and lifestyle marketing This resource is highly relevant for students studying: Media, Communication, or Advertising Cultural Studies, Public Health, or Sociology Marketing and Consumer Psychology Courses focused on media ethics, identity, capitalism, and health politics Ideal for midterms, final prep, and critical theory application, it enables students to master both conceptual frameworks and real-world examples used in media analysis. Keywords: COMM 287, Sut Jhally, advertising theory, consumer culture, resonance theory, semiotics, fifth stage advertising, DTC ads, neuromarketing, nag factor, cradle to grave marketing, child consumerism, obesity and advertising, marketing psychology, food politics, me-too drugs, self-referential ads, chronic disease, lifestyle branding