QUESTION: Commercials?

[Liz Bremer]

Hello,

I'm looking to integrate media into my secondary English classroom. I am looking for a GREAT example of each of the following commercial types (types of persuasion in advertising). I was wondering if you could help me. Thanks!

 

1. Story:

2. Humor:

3. Testimonials:

4.  Bandwagon

5. Emotional words or facts:

6. Repetition

7. Slogan

8. Jingle

9. Visual metaphor:

[Frank W. Baker]

My advice would be to go through any number of magazines (first) aimed at different audiences. It is easy to find these. It's also a great way to get your students started: teach them how to define each "technique of persuasion" and have them bring in ads that match one or more of the techniques.  Once they've mastered this, they can move onto locating/identifying moving images (commercials).

One ad I use is this one which I saw on TV and subsequently found on YouTube for the "VISA Check Card." It uses humor, but I use it to get students to answer critical viewing questions: what is the location; what time of day; what role does music play; what do expressions reveal/mean; what is implied; and what is omitted. 

Good luck, Frank Baker, Media Literacy Clearinghouse

[Kelly Farrow]

Those Free Credit Report.com ads were definitely funny (#2), even if that company is now defunct. (Remember the singing pirates?) I bet the students would also enjoy analyzing the "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ads for humor (#2). McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" is one of the best-known slogans (#7) out there; you could show a variety of those ads and see how they weave that phrase into various situations. Here in the Chicago area, we all know the Empire Carpet and Luna Carpet jingle ads (#8) from our very youngest days! Pharmaceutical/drug ads are often full of emotional words (#5) and testimonials (#3). I hope your lessons go wonderfully!!

[Adam Steinberg]

Oh my god -- EMPIRE! That takes me back. Feel free, Liz, to check out my bookmarked commercials that we use for a 10th grade study of the genre before they create their own PSAs. We think they represent a nice variety of types. I think you get there by going to http://www.youtube.com/user/adamusement#p/p  . Then look for the list of Playlists and choose any starting with BBIS PSAs. I should note these are PSAs and not for commercial goods. Cheers!