ADText

ADText is an interdisciplinary curriculum, published by the ANA Educational Foundation. It strengthens the AEF mission of enriching the understanding of advertising and its role in culture, society, history and the economy. The 28 units of ADText constitute a broad overview of the place of advertising in society. Each unit may be used singly or in combination with others, depending on each user’s interests.

What is ADText?

ADText is an online interdisciplinary curriculum, published by the ANA Educational Foundation and open to all. It strengthens the AEF mission of enriching the understanding of advertising and its role in society. Each unit may be used singly or in combination with others, depending on each user’s interests.

How is ADText used on college campuses?

ADText is an online textbook, for use in whole or part, in college courses that examine the place of advertising in American and global society. Single chapters on specific topics (e.g., gender, ethics, China, Brazil, etc.) are used as supplements in courses on gender, ethics, regional studies, American history, globalization, etc. The full set of chapters is used as a main or supplementary textbook for courses on advertising and society.

Who writes ADText?

The author of ADText is Professor William M. O’Barr (william.obarr@duke.edu), a cultural anthropologist who specializes in advertising and its relation to society, culture and history. He is author of Culture and the Ad: Exploring Otherness in the World of Advertising (1994) and Founding Editor of the online journal, Advertising & Society Review. Professor O’Barr received his B.A. from Emory University and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He holds appointments in the Department of Cultural Anthropology, the Department of Sociology, and the Department of English at Duke University in Durham, NC. The senior editorial assistant for ADText is Emma Hymas (emma.hymas@duke.edu).

How can I access ADText?

ADText is available as an open access supplement to our academic journal, Advertising & Society Quarterly. Best way to access each ADText unit is by visiting its site: www.adtextonline.org. This will give you quick access to each chapter.

SAG and AFTRA Acknowledgments
The Advertising Educational Foundation thanks SAG and AFTRA, the Unions representing professional performers, for generously granting permission to use their Union members’ performances in the commercials on our website.


"Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society."
— Gord McLean, President and CEO at ANA Educational Foundation