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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Oct 06, 2005 by Business Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
"Anatomy of an Ad" is an exercise that challenges students to collect and
correctly classify advertisements as belonging to one of several classifications
based on the creative advertising techniques employed. Students are provided
with two pages of background reading that offer an overview of advertising
techniques. Instructors are provided with step-by-step instructions for the
activity procedure, and suggestions for exercise variations and extensions.
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| Learning Goals: |
Following completion of this exercise, students will be able to recognize and
describe a number of specific advertising techniques used by advertisers in
various media to market products. If the suggested discussion questions are
utilized, an additional goal may related to sensitizing students to the "evils
of advertising".
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| Target Student Population: |
As written, the exercise is geared primarily towards college students in
consumer affairs/education, media or media literacy, societal aspects of
advertising, introductory business, marketing, and possibly social studies.
With revision, the exercise could also be used for students studying creative
advertising and/or advertising strategy,
integrated marketing communications,
marketing, or psychology. The exercise is simplistic enough that it might also
be used with high school students, should the occasion arise.
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| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
None, but some familarity with American culture, and past exposure to
advertising in general would be helpful.
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| Type of Material: |
Drill and practice
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| Recommended Uses: |
The collection and initial classification of ads can be assigned as an
out-of-class homework assignment. There are several options/suggestions
provided, and instructors can determine the best adaptation/application for the
individual situation. For example, students bring ads into class for "show
and tell" and class discussion.
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| Technical Requirements: |
The exercise is available via a PDF file, and is inclusive of information and
activities in this single file.
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| Strengths: |
Provides students with a quick, easy to read overview of many advertising
techniques in use today. It is self-contained and inclusive in
objectives/applications/activities/materials needed.
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| Concerns: |
Not all advertising techniques are defined for students objectively. In fact, a
clear bias exists against certain advertising techniques (e.g., image), as do
biases against common IMC techniques which are labelled in the exercise as "ads
disguised as regular programming".
The exercise is fairly dated, as the teaching note, which cites statistics from
1964 and 1989 makes clear. Additionally, while the content is fairly basic, it
is presented so simply that college students might be "put off."
The activity procedure written for the instructor is incomplete in that it makes
references to using a certain overhead that is not included with the exercise
materials. Apparently, the exercise was originally part of several that were at
one time prepared for a particular textbook that may have been titled, "Living
in a Material World". The "resource" listed for instructors offers an
incomplete citation and is thus of no value.
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
Rating:     |
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| Strengths: |
The various classifications of advertising do provide a starting point for
discussing the usage of various advertising techniques. The suggested
discussion questions should make for a lively, and opinionated -- if not biased
-- discussion. An additional strength is the hands-on application and analysis
of material.
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| Concerns: |
The suggested discussion questions do little by way of educating students in
terms of the effective usage of the different advertising techniques. Instead,
the intent of the suggested discussion questions seems to be geared towards
evaluating the influence of advertising from a societal influence,
or ethical
perspective. The instructor may have to provide example/sample ads for some of
the categories, because students left to their own devices may not accurately or
fully identify some samples/ads.
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
Very easy for students to use and understand as the module is clear, concise,
and self-contained.
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| Concerns: |
Updating of teaching notes will be necessary; instructors may wish to change the
focus of the discussion questions, depending upon the course in which the
exercise is used.
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
It is unlikely that the advertising techniques listed in the exercise will
exactly match the listing of creative techniques used in the textbook of most
advertising, IMC, or marketing courses, so there is the potential for some
student confusion.
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