Outsmart Those Smooth Talkers

1. Outsmart Those Smooth Talkers Save your money, your health, and your self respect.

2. 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”?

4. 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”?

6. 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?

8. 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?

11. Brawn and Beauty • Physical attractiveness is achievable by using the product advertised. • How do the following ads promote brawn or beauty?

13. 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?

16. “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?

18. 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?

20. Not only people, but animals! What company does this dog work for?

21. 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?

23. 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?

25. 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?

27. 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?

29. 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?

31. 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!)

33. 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.

35. “Healthy” Ads • How do the following ads help “sell” good nutrition or physical activity?

38. 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.