Module manager: Dr Leslie Meier
Email: L.Meier@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module examines foundational and contemporary perspectives, theories, and debates in critical studies of advertising and consumer culture. It draws on media and communication studies, not marketing, to investigate advertising industries, audiences, texts, histories, and technologies, attending to real-world issues and contemporary developments. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module introduces students to critical-cultural approaches to studying advertising and consumer culture. Drawing on lectures, seminars, workshops, required readings, and individual and group assessments, it aims to develop student understanding of and skill at critically analysing advertising. It does so by evaluating critical perspectives, applying key theories, and reflecting on strategic and creative practices in advertising.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
Communicate complex concepts, ideas, and issues to different audiences
Collaborate and exercise team working in a group project On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
Analyse key theories, critiques, and debates from academic literature on advertising and consumer culture
Apply media and communication theory to the analysis of advertising
Critically analyse and reflect on advertising materials and practices
Identify and appraise the relationship between advertising and real-world issues
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practical | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seminar | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 177 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 23 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Participation in weekly seminar discussions and activities provides opportunities for formative feedback on student understanding of module content and progress on assessments. Student learning achieved and marker feedback provided on the group project build towards and are applicable to the individual project.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Group project | 25 |
| Coursework | Project | 75 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Group project: revise and resubmit or follow the same original brief. If an individual from a group must resit due to non-participation/non-submission, the brief will be modified into an individual project. Project: revise and resubmit or follow the same original brief.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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