Truth in Advertising

Wrap-up

There are many different types of ads, but they all have something in common: they are all selling something. Some are selling a product, like shampoo; some are selling a person, like a political candidate or a celebrity; others are selling an idea that will cause you to change your behavior, like a stop-smoking ad.

Whether their intentions are political, commercial, or even to be helpful, all these ads are trying to persuade you to take a certain point of view. So whenever you read an ad, a campaign poster, or a public service announcement, keep an eye out for the techniques of persuasive writing. Ask yourself if the ad can back up its claims or deliver on its promises.

In this lesson you:

• Read and identified various types of ads
• Analyzed ads for examples of persuasive writing—generalizing, exaggerating, and using scare tactics
• Analyzed different types of ads and wrote responses to them

On your own:

• Flip through a magazine and carefully read the ads—especially ads for “miracle” products and “get-rich-quick” programs.  What kinds of persuasive techniques are these ads using?
• In the next election, compare the candidates' ads. Are they generalizing, exaggerating, or using scare tactics?