Outsmart Those Smooth Talkers

Save your money, your health, and your self

respect.

The Perfect Image

Advertisers often convey children, youth, or families as “perfect.”Anyone would want to achieve the perfect image portrayed.

How does the following ad portray the “perfect image”?

Warms the Heart “Tells a story” that makes you feel

good. These ads often show people being

kind or generous. These ads often show people of

different generations.

How does the following advertisement “warm the heart”?

Family Fun and Togetherness

Every child dreams of family fun times. The product in the ad helps achieve

this ideal.

How does the following advertisement convey the idea that using this product promotes family fun?

Thrill and Excitement

Many products are promoted as something that will add excitement to your life.

How do the following ads depict thrill and excitement?

Brawn and Beauty

Physical attractiveness is achievable by using the product advertised.

How do the following ads promote brawn or beauty?

Celebrities Sell Popular stars (musical performers,

actors and actresses, athletes) are often spokespersons and endorse products.

The message is that YOU can resemble your celebrity idol by using the product.

Who are the celebrities in the following “Got Milk?” ads?

“Ordinary” People Sell

Someone “just like you” uses the product with success, so you can too.

The “Testimonial” Sale

How do the following “Got Milk” ads convey that these are “ordinary” people?

Cartoons Sell

Not only are “real” people used to sell products, so are cartoon characters.

Name the brand-specific characters in the following advertisements.

Can you name other cartoon characters used to sell products?

Not only people, but animals!

What company does this dog work for?

Join the Crowd

Who wants to be left out? Advertisers use the same tactic kids often use with parents: “Everyone else is doing it!”

Popularity is the goal.

How do the following ads use this strategy?

We’re the Best

Advertisers often compare their products to the competition.

How do the following ads use this strategy to make their product appear better and the others appear worse?

Be Young, Hip, Cool

You need to use this product to be cool rather than a nerd.

How do the following ads make you think that these products will make you cool?

Stretch the Truth Advertisers must be honest, but

words and phrases are often used to make the truth sound a little better than reality – “weasel words.”

Sometimes what is NOT said is how the truth is stretched.

How is the truth “stretched” in the following ads?

Statistics

Facts and figures are often used to make a product sound better, healthier, more effective, etc.

How are facts and figures used in the following advertisements?

Name that Tune Music, sound effects, and song lyrics

(“advertising jingles”) are an extremely memorable and effective form of advertising.

Can you say the jingle that advertises the product on the next slide? (This jingle has been around a long time, ask your parents!)

Play it Again

You need to see a commercial over and over for it to lead you to purchase the product.

List all the different places and ways you’ve seen the following product advertised.

“Healthy” Ads

How do the following ads help “sell” good nutrition or physical activity?

This Power Point Slide Show was created by Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RD as part of “Destination: Wellness,” a Nutrition Education Tool Kit for High School Students.

This project was funded by a 2002 TEAM Nutrition grant from the Department of Agriculture, and administered by the Maryland State Department of Education.