The Importance of Understanding Ads: An Introduction to Advertising Pham’s RAM Fall 2013

But Wait…Let’s ReviewBut Wait…Let’s Review  What are the 6 questions and their single-word counterparts?

group tasksgroup tasks  Introduce yourselves.  Create a list of good advertisements verses bad advertisements  Think effective v. ineffective.  Be as specific as possible so I can find them online.  Discuss characteristics of an effective or ineffective ad as a class.  Be prepared to hand me your lists before you leave.

Let’s Examine Some AdsLet’s Examine Some Ads  Divide a piece of paper in half.  Label one half “good ads,” and label the other half “bad ads.”  As you watch, create a list of qualities that makes ads good or bad.

The iPadThe iPad 

Snickers (with Betty White)Snickers (with Betty White) 

The Guardian (Newspaper)The Guardian (Newspaper)  mbedded&v=vDGrfhJH1P4 mbedded&v=vDGrfhJH1P4

Chipotle: Back to the StartChipotle: Back to the Start  mbedded&v=aMfSGt6rHos mbedded&v=aMfSGt6rHos

Food for ThoughtFood for Thought  The typical American teens sees 3,000 ads per day (Mehta 10).  Tainted Truth tells us that, as a society, we “are exposed to 12 billion display ads, 2.5 million radio commercials and more than 300,000 television commercials” on a daily basis.

Bombarded  With your group, create a mind map of all the places where you are bombarded with advertisements.  Try to think beyond the obvious.

Recap… Effective Humorous Attractive Emulation (celebrities) High quality resolution, acting, etc. Memorable jingle/song/catch phrase/slogan Music (must have “good” singing or a turn-off) Subtle, doesn’t feel like I’m being “sold” to Ineffective Low budget Bad quality (camera, editing, etc.) Bad acting Boring/corny/lame Cheesy catch phrases/rhymes Unreliable characters Bad product Bad music Narrow demographic (doesn’t apply to me) Too “in your face”, obvious

Advertising Warm-up: Old SpiceAdvertising Warm-up: Old Spice  What are the effective and/or ineffective qualities of Old Spice’s marketing campaign? Who is the target audience? Is the information fair, accurate, and complete?

Let’s ChatterLet’s Chatter  What is the purpose of advertising? What types of companies advertise most?  What effects, both positive and negative, does advertising have on our society?  How much control do we have over the number of advertisements we see or hear?  Have you ever been personally affected by an ad?  Why are more advertisers starting to target children and teens?  Do advertisements lie? How often do you question them?

Things to Think About.Things to Think About.  From the mouth of an advertising agent in James Steyer’s The Other Parent: “If you tell [kids] to buy something, they are resistant. But if you tell them that they’ll be a dork if they don’t, you’ve got their attention. You open up emotional vulnerability…” (100).  Materialistic individuals suffer more depression, have poorer relationships, and use more drugs, alcohol and tobacco (Steyer 100).

Things to Think About.Things to Think About.  Today, marketers spend 3 billion dollars per year targeting children, 20 times as much as was spent a decade ago (Steyer 103).  Carolle Stroller, a kindergarten teacher, notices how children used to bring in artifacts from family trips or pictures from travels for show and tell. Now they bring in action figures from movies and toys from fast food restaurants (Steyer 105).  Paradox of choice

Proctor and Gamble: Best JobProctor and Gamble: Best Job 

Eagleman (Car Insurance)Eagleman (Car Insurance) 

Doritos: FashionistaDoritos: Fashionista 

Direct TV: Charlie SheenDirect TV: Charlie Sheen 

5 Hour Energy: Doctor Review5 Hour Energy: Doctor Review 

Coke: Polar BearsCoke: Polar Bears  4&feature=player_embedded 4&feature=player_embedded

Go Daddy: The CloudGo Daddy: The Cloud  feature=player_embedded feature=player_embedded

Group TaskGroup Task  With your group, come up with a question or idea to challenge the claim of the advertiser.

Looking aheadLooking ahead  WHY is dissecting ads so important?