Unit 5 Curiouser and Curiouser
Lesson 6 Understand how ads try to sell you
Speak and read
- a Work in pairs. Look at the ad and answer the questions.
- Who’s the ad for? What’s it selling?
- What makes it a typical ad for this kind of product?
- Why do ads like these target teens?
- Read the ads.
A Big brands like to target teens for several reasons
The younger you are when using a brand, the longer you’ll continue buying the brand. You probably like to do the same things as your friends. So, there’s a far greater chance they’ll buy the same brand as you. Parents often give teens money. It’s often easier to persuade a teen to buy something than an adult.
B Advertising companies use different methods to sell to teens
They try to make you feel special even though they are selling to hundreds of thousands of people. They try to sell you a rebellious teen image even though it’s been carefully developed by adults. They encourage you to use social media to help market their products. They try to get your personal data so they can continue selling to you.
- Work in pairs. Complete the task.
- Look at the ad. Which of the methods in the articles does it use?
- The ad claims you can personalize the product. Do you think the claim is true? Why?
- Answer the questions.
In the past 12 months, have you …
- Bought a product because of the advertising campaign?
- Bought a product because a friend owns it?
- Liked or followed a brand or product on social media.
- Worn or carried something that has a brand name or logo on it?
Reflect
- Discuss these questions with your class.
- How much influence do you think big brands and advertising companies have over
what you buy?
- What should you think about when you hear about a new product?
- Why should you be careful of advertising you see on social networking sites?
- Reflection point
We are all influenced by advertising, so it’s important to identify the methods used to sell you product. Be careful how much data you give to a brand or advertiser. The more a company knows about you, the more it will target you with advertising.
- Extend
Look at the ads.
- What techniques do the advertisers use in different ads?
- Which of the ads do you think are most effective?
