Q2 Ad Creator: Analyzing Ads
Truth in Ads
Everywhere you look—on your phone, in your games, or while scrolling social media—ads are popping up trying to sell you something. Sometimes, it’s even about things you just searched! Ads are everywhere, and it’s essential to learn to figure out which ones are real and which are trying to trick you.
Even though it’s illegal for companies to lie about their products, some find sneaky ways to avoid being caught. That’s why we have the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is part of the U.S. government, and its job is to protect people like you and me by ensuring businesses play fair and tell the truth.
Learning the Tricks
Before your Media Club can make an honest ad, you need to know every trick in the book — because you'll be tempted to use them, and because advertisers are using them on you right now.
Most ads don't lie outright. That's risky and often illegal. Instead, they use persuasion techniques: legal strategies that steer how you feel before you've had a chance to think.
While playing the video below, think about how the information will impact an ad you would make for your Media Club.
Direct link (5:03 min.)
The Ad Detective's Playbook
With your Media Crew group, check out this T19 Q2 Ad Detectives Playbook slide deck and then work through Quest 2 Activities on this page the The Slogans page.
- Discuss each slide with intention. You will need to use the content with your own creation.
*Symbols and icons are being used for educational purposes only.
Activity 1: Ad Creator: Analyzing Ads
- Read through the questions below before opening the linked chart.
- You'll analyze three sample ads for Media Club gear.
- For each one, record:
- What is the product actually promising?
- Which persuasion techniques can you name? (Find at least two per ad.)
- What information is missing that a smart buyer would want?
- On a scale of 1–5, how much do you trust this ad? Why?
- For each one, record:
- Now open, copy, and save (or download and save) the T19 Q2 Ad Autopsy Chart.
Competencies & Standards
MITECS Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students, and
1. Empowered Learner
c. Use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways
d. Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies
2. Digital Citizen
a. Cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world
b. Engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices
d. Manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online
5. Computational Thinker
b. Collect data or identify relevant data sets
Websites and Documents
21T4S Documents & Videos