Find advertising that satisfies the following criteria. Describe the advertising and answer the related questions.
Adds value to the brand. Explain what value is added and how.
Stimulates primary or selective demand (or both). Explain what kind of demand is stimulated and how you determined this.
Provides an example of puffery. Describe the puffery and explain why you do or don't consider it deceptive.
Tries to manipulate you into buying something you didn't previously want or need. How is it doing that? Were you effectively manipulated?
Stereotypes a person or group. Do you find the approach offensive or acceptable?
Makes a comparison to a competitive product. Does the comparison seem fair and supportable? Does it influence your attitude?
Tries to deceive you. Is the advertiser being dishonest? How is your opinion of the advertiser or product affected?
Shows social responsibility. Did it make you feel differently about the company or its products?
Watch 30 minutes of television during at least one day part or program format (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening, late night, news, sports, soaps). Note the time of day and type of programming you watched. Count the number of commercials during that 30-minute period and bring your results to class.
Ad Action: "I know it when I see it"
Where is the socially accepted line between "erotic suggestiveness" and "explicit sexuality" in advertising? Where do the images that you find at Abercrombie's Web site (http://abercrombie.com/) fall? How about those at Victoria's Secret (http://www.victoriassecret.com/)? Erotic suggestiveness is certainly possible without nudity, but what about the reverse? Can an ad feature nudity without erotic suggestiveness or explicit sexuality? Are either ever appropriate in an ad? You might want to consider these sites (Note: there is nudity at each) in formulating your answer.
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/BreastSelfExam.html (click on the Breast Self-Awareness (BSA) Interactive Tool link in the middle of the page that helps demonstrate the proper way to do a breast exam for cancer.
Many people would suggest that the blingh2o site is using nudity in a patently offensive manner. Do you agree or disagree? What are the arguments that support your perspective? What are the arguments that someone who disagrees with you would likely put forward?
Go to the Web site for the Ad Council, http://www.adcouncil.org/. As you read in this chapter, the Ad Council is an organization dedicated to addressing critical social issues through the creation of public service announcements, or PSAs. Click on the Campaigns link and look over the many different social causes that the Ad Council has tried to address. Select an issue that you care about and examine the work. How effective do you find the ads? Finally, consider whether there is an issue that concerns you greatly that you don't find at the site. If so, why do you suppose it isn't there?
