Evil Advertising

Sex Sells.  Pamela Anderson (in a bikini)
urges you to "go Vegetarian" - will you?
Taken from Google Images



The first genre we are going to explore in the multi-genre unit is something you are exposed to on a daily basis: advertisements!  Before I show you a film clip regarding advertising, I want you to ponder these questions:

What is advertisement?
What purpose does it serve?

What tactics do companies use to get people to buy products?

Have you ever bought something just because the ad was cool?

How do ads target specific groups of people?

How could advertising be considered "evil"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSXDCMSlv_I

I want you to flip through the pages of a magazine and take a deeper look at the ads you see.  What message is each of the ads trying to convey?  What audience is the ad targeting?  What tactics are being used in order to sell products?  How are the ads you see essentially "evil"?

Now I want you to take an ad (or several) and come up with one of your own that exposes the dark truth behind what advertising agencies want people to see.  There are two sides to advertising: the flawless and glitzy images shown, but the reality behind what is being sold.  You are now an agent with one mission: expose the menacing side of the ads you see...go!

*Think about how you could incorporate an ad into your multi-genre project - the ideas are endless for there is always something to sell!