Level(s): Grades 8 to 12

Overview

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In this lesson students answer a brief questionnaire related to self-image, self-esteem, and advertising, and then work as groups to create and act in mock television commercials that parody advertising techniques.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate:

• understanding of the ways in which advertising presents images of men and women which are limited in their scope;
• understanding of the ways in which advertising presents images of appearance, personality traits and societal roles of men and women that are sometimes neither appropriate or desirable.
• awareness of how their own feelings of happiness and esteem may be affected by advertising.

Preparation and Materials

• Create an overhead for Definition of Advertising

Photocopy student handouts:

• Advertising and Image
• Student Questionnaire
• What Do Advertisements Tell Us?

Procedure

Inform students that you are asking them to complete a brief, anonymous questionnaire. Distribute the Student Questionnaires and allow a few minutes for students to complete them.

Optional: Ask for a team of volunteers to tally the responses. Present the results to the class. Are the results what students would have expected?

Present the Definition of Advertising, as provided on your overhead. Briefly discuss:

• Are ads more likely to make people feel satisfied or dissatisfied with themselves?
• Why would it be to an advertiser's advantage to make people feel satisfied or dissatisfied with themselves?
• In what ways do ads benefit us?
• Are ads created primarily for the consumer's benefit or the advertiser's benefit?
• Introduce the concepts of self-image and self-esteem:
  • Self-image is a person's image or conception of himself or herself
  • Self-esteem is a person's conception of her or his own worth; belief in oneself; self-respect
• Distribute the background readings Advertising and Image and What Do Advertisements Tell Us? Allow time for students to read them.
• Discuss key points.

Activities

• Divide the class into small groups of three to four students. Explain that students will be creating mock TV commercials. Allow each group to choose a particular type of product, such as soft drinks, tennis shoes, makeup, etc., avoiding duplication of product type.
• Clarify that the assignment is for each group to plan and act out a commercial for the class. The goal is to reflect or parody how real commercials often rely on manipulation of viewers' self-image or self-esteem in an attempt to influence them to purchase a product. (If you wish, discuss the concepts of caricature and parody.) Remind students that real commercials are typically no more than 60 seconds in length. You may want to help them get started by brainstorming a list of image-related ad themes, such as hair, skin, weight, and looking cool, sexy, athletic, tough, etc.
• Explain that groups need to develop a logically consistent framework for their product and ad. As they plan, students should write on paper and/or on the board:
  • their names
  • the product type they have chosen
  • names for their company and product
  • what segment of the public they are targeting or marketing their product to.

Note: Minimizing planning time will allow for more in-depth discussion later.

• Have students present their commercials.
• Review major points from Advertising and Image and What Do Advertisements Tell Us? To provide closure, discuss:
• Ads tend to present a limited view of the personality traits and societal roles that are appropriate or desirable for boys and girls, men and women.
• Ads can foster an unnatural level of preoccupation with appearance.
• Ads can present unreal, unattainable images of physical attractiveness.
• Ads can injure our self image and self esteem... if we let them.
• In what ways does advertising benefit us as consumers?
• Are you likely to look at ads any differently now? In what way?

Variations/Extensions

• Request that students draft a complete, written script for their commercial prior to performing it. Or, if equipment is available, videotape the commercials.
• To assist students in gathering their thoughts, incorporate short writing assignments after each main segment of the activity: the questionnaire, reading, commercials, and discussion.
• Analyze and discuss racial stereotypes in advertising: Do ads tend to present a limited view of the appearances, personality traits, or societal roles that are appropriate or common for people of various racial or ethnic backgrounds? (African Americans as athletes and musicians, etc.)
• Discuss ads directed at men or women in terms of the ads' effect on the opposite sex. What kinds of images or expectations of appearance, personality traits, and societal roles may be fostered by advertising?
• Discuss the ethical implications for advertisers of some of the concerns raised in this activity. (Should all advertisers be painted with the same brush because of the actions of a few individual advertisers? What are the rights and responsibilities of advertisers, as individual companies and as an industry?)
• Discuss the use of uniforms in schools in light of considerations raised in this activity.

Evaluation

• Framework for commercials and group presentations.