Commercial Lesson -- Focus on Advertising Techniques

written by: Kellie Hayden edited by: Laurie Patsalides updated: 1/3/2012
Students will watch television and fnd advertising techniques used in the commercials. They will work
in small cooperative groups during activities. Many states standards and indicators include these
persuasive techniques used in the media under the communication: oral and visual standard.
Analysis of Commercials
Some parents may raise eyebrows when students are asked to watch television to analyze persuasive
techniques used by advertisers. However students will en!oy this activity and learn advertising
techniques. "nd parents may be happy to fnd that their children are learning how the marketers and
the advertisers try to manipulate them through the use o# persuasive techniques.
Create Handout Packet for Commercial Assignment
Teachers will need to create a packet #or the students to use when analyzing the commercials.
Students will need the advertising terms and defnitions "$M and %$&. They will also need a list o#
questions to answer when they watch the commercials:
&hat time did the commercial start and end'
&hat was the product advertised'
&hat was the slogan and(or !ingle used'
&hat technique)s* were used' +,plain how the technique was used.
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&ho was the target audience #or the advertisement'
&hat television show)s* was(were on be#ore and a#ter the commercial'
.id you en!oy or like this commercial' &hy'
Assign Television Watching Homeork
Teachers will need to frst discuss advertisement terms and defnitions in the handout and the
questions. Tip: Teachers may be able to show commercials #rom YouTube to show e,amples o# the
advertising techniques. "ssign students to watch three$to$fve commercials #or homework.
!iscuss Findings
"#ter students have completed the homework discuss the techniques used in the commercials.
/uestions #or discussion:
&hich commercials were the students0 #avorite ones' .id they fnd that they were the target audience
#or the commercial' &as the television show that was on be#ore or a#ter the commercial a #avorite
show'
.id they see any e,amples o# bias or stereotyping' How did this a1ect or not a1ect them'
&hat were the most memorable slogans and(or !ingles'
&hat commercials most e1ectively used a technique'
"tudents #ake Their $n Commercial
"#ter students have discussed what makes a great commercial assign them to make their own. %lace
students into small cooperative groups o# three$to$si, students. +ach group needs to select a product
slogan target audience and advertisement technique.
The commercial needs to be organized and produced by the group. "ll do not need to be 2in2 the
commercial but the entire team needs to make a script collect props and stage the commercial. The
commercials can be completed 2live2 in #ront o# the class or can be recorded earlier.
"ssess the commercials with a rubric. 3riteria #or the rubric can be teamwork organization
advertisement techniques and e,ecution o# the commercial.
ADVERTISEMENT LESSON SERIES
This series of lessons will teach students the basics of adertisin!" Part one of this series will
!ie a list of adertisin! definitions #$%" Part two will !ie definitions P$&" The other three
lessons will teach students how to identify the ter's in ads in a ariety of 'edia"
4. %ingles and "logans Activities for Advertisement Lesson
5. Advertisement Analysis Lesson for #iddle "chool
6. Commercial Lesson -- Focus on Advertising Techniques

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