Assignment:
Perrier in America
Scan the Internet or the resources in our university library's periodical databases,https://www.adflip.com/, or some other Internet resource for an advertisement (in any medium--print, radio, TV, the Internet, etc., so long as you will be able to share it in print or video form during our face-to-face class). Assess the ad using the American Research Group's "10 Rules for More Effective Advertising" and the media literacy questions we discussed at the beginning of this course. Ponder, too, why we need to understand the role that advertising plays in our media and society. For example, what are some of the implications of the ubiquity of advertising in today's media environment?
The media literacy questions that we discussed at the beginning of the course is:
1. What do you understand media literacy to be?
2. Do you consider yourself a media-literate person?
3. Do you think children in elementary and secondary school should be taught media literacy?
4. If so, what's the most important thing students should know?
Ten Rules for More Effective Advertising
Leahy's Law states that if a thing is done wrong often enough, it becomes right, and as a result, volume becomes a defense to error. When advertising fails to sway consumers, most advertisers follow Leahy's Law by increasing the frequency of the advertising hoping that more of what is not working will somehow work when consumers are subjected to more of the same.
Use the following 10 simple rules to evaluate the advertising you encounter. You may be disappointed, but don't be surprised when you discover that most advertising fails to follow any of the rules.
1. Does the ad tell a simple story, not just convey information?
2. Does the ad make the desired call to action a part of the story?
3. Does the ad use basic emotional appeals?
4. Does the ad use easy arguments?
5. Does the ad show, and not tell?
6. Does the ad use symbolic language and images that relate to the senses?
7. Does the ad match what viewers see with what they hear?
8. Does the ad stay with a scene long enough for impact?
9. Does the ad let powerful video speak for itself?
10. Does the ad use identifiable music?