Session 2 - Analysing Advertisements

GOALS:
- Know: key terms relating to persuasive techniques in advertising, e.g. ‘bandwagon’, ‘association’ etc...
- Understand: that advertises use a variety of persuasive techniques that work together to sell products, feelings
and ideas
- Be able to: analyse an advertisement - identify persuasive techniques and explain the effects
-

How do advertisements actually work to persuade us? Are you capable of analysing an
advert like this? You will be at the end of these lessons!

ACTIVITIES:

1. Warm up: Read page 98 and discuss the questions in box ‘Activity 4.4’ (p99 of textbook) with
your group.

2. Key terms: Start a quizlet set (or add to an existing set) for persuasive techniques used in
advertising. You will encounter a lot today! Read pages 100-102 of your textbook and write
definitions for these words.

3. Going further: Make a copy of this worksheet. Go through the questions at your own pace,
writing your responses where indicated. Another resource: persuasive techniques handout.
TOWARDS ASSESSMENT:

- FOA: You could pretend to work at a marketing company, discussing ideas for a new
advertising series for a particular product and audience.

- WT: Advertisements can create some strong reactions in people - anything from fierce loyalty
to vitriolic anger. Why not right a letter to the company / advertiser of today’s texts to show
your emotional reaction?

NEXT LESSON:
- Targeted advertising and demographics

HOME-LEARNING:
- Review today’s materials
BONUS CHALLENGE:
- Today we learned a range of persuasive techniques used in advertising. You could hunt for
ads on the Internet and try to identify these techniques in use, evaluating their effectiveness.

- Alternatively, why not find out about newer persuasive techniques used on social media. How
is technology changing adverising?