Persuasive Writing and Advertising Laura Ellen Healy

Objectives To recognize different advertising techniques To understand the qualities of a good ad To create an original ad using the techniques and the four qualities of a good ad To think critically about how ads are created and how ads target teenagers

Supplements the current persuasive writing unit Draws extensively upon Coca-cola advertising in the Library of Congress

Day 1: Anticipatory set Students are given handouts of ads from the “Themes for Coca-cola advertising” and a list of advertising techniques. Advertising techniques are overviewed briefly. Access prior knowledge by analyzing whether the technique is an example of logos, ethos, or pathos.

Group work In groups of five, students examine the print ads. Through discussion, students will determine which advertising techniques are being utilized in the ads.

Magic ingredients “Revives and sustains” 1905

Bandwagon: “6 million drinks a day” 1925

Bandwagon: “It had to be good to get where it is” 1926

Plain folks: “Friends for life” 1935

Snob appeal 1957

Patriotism 1974

Wit and humor 1999

Day 2 Using their class text, students will learn the four qualities that make up a good ad: Attracts attention Arouses interest Creates desire Causes action

Students will then select a print ad that appeals to them and analyze it for the four qualities and for the advertising technique being used. Individuals will present to the class

Day 3 Students are reminded that AMERICAN IDOL is on tonight!!! American Idol is currently the #1 show in America Coca-cola is a major sponsor of American Idol Students are instructed to watch American Idol and analyze the Coca-cola commercials for their content.

Day 4 AMERICAN IDOL DAY! General class discussion: What types of advertising does Coca-cola use? Why does it work? How do they use product placement in the programming? Why do advertisers rely on product placement?

…and the big question: Why did Coca-cola’s advertising techniques change so drastically?

Access the Library of Congress Students will examine past Coca-cola ads, available for viewing on the Library of Congress, such as…

“I’d like to buy the world a Coke” The Hilltop Ad 1971 “I’d like to buy the world a Coke”

Mean Joe Green 1979

Polar Bears 1993

Students will analyze *the quality of the commercials *the advertising techniques used *the societal factors that affected the advertising.

Day 5 Commercial viewing will be supplemented with excerpts from the “History of television advertising” article provided by the LOC. Students will meet in small groups to discuss the reading and ads to determine why Coca-cola now relies mainly on wit and humor techniques.

Day 6 Students are assigned their project. They are required to create their own commercial for a fictional product. They should use: the four qualities of a good ad one of the techniques we studied humor or irony

Ads will be created using PowerPoint (I stole that idea from Joe)

Day 7 Students will write a reflective journal entry about why they believe major corporations aim advertising at teenagers. Share opinions in small groups, then with the class. This could take 2 days; I sort of hope it does

Day 8 View commercials. The end!