Advertising Strategies

In Room 209, we are analyzing and creating ads and looking at the strategies advertisers use to sell a product. Ads are used to persuade people to purchase or do something. They can also be used to entertain and inform.

We have explored Persuasive Advertising Strategies like:

• Amazing Toys/Amazing Abilities
• Avante Garde
• Bandwagon
• Bribery
• Cute Characters
• Excitement
• Facts and Figures/Expert Opinion
• Family Fun/Ideal Kids and Family/Plain Folks
• Heartstrings
• Magic Ingredients
• Patriotism
• Put Downs
• Scale
• Snob Appeal/Are You Cool Enough?
• Star Power
• Transfer
• Weasel Words

For more information on our advertising unit (integrated Language, Science, Health, Social Studies, Math and Art), check out our working document. This includes notes from class discussions and Success Criteria for each step of the process.

Below is the slideshow that we are currently working on.
Success Criteria:
-select an interesting ad
-write down the message the advertisers are communicating (the deeper the better!)
-write down whether you think this is an honest advertisement or not and why
-add a shape with the advertising strategies(s) used

Girls' Rube Goldberg Machine

What do you think of this ad?

"Boys'" Toys and "Girls'" Toys - What Do You Think?

Hello boys and girls,

  Because we are now in the thick of the holiday season, advertisements for toys are EVERYWHERE! I am sure you have noticed! Maybe you've even written a list of some toys you want (I hope you've added to that list some ways to help others, too!).

  I collected some images from toy catalogues because I am always interested in the way that little boys and little girls are portrayed. Have a look at the images below and see what you notice. There are some very different things going on in the different ads. What do you notice? Leave a comment with three things that you noticed.

Update: The wonderful students in Room 207 have visited this post and joined our conversation as well! Please take some time to read and respond to comments below!

War Child Canada Ad

10 Year Olds Take Over Ad Agency

I saw an article and video tonight that I had to share with you, my friends in Room 209.

An advertising agency in Toronto called Grip Limited just celebrated their 10th anniversary. In order to commemorate this, they hired 10 year olds to run the creative parts of the company for a day. The process of planning the ad campaigns and the final results are pretty amazing.

Please watch the video here.

Do you think YOU could run an ad campaign? What company or product would you like to create advertisements for? How would you help them sell their product or service?