Advertising as Learning Material?
It's still early for me, but this article
http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2014/08/11/teach-children-marketing/
provides a useful reflection on advertising. The idea is simple -- watch television ads with your children, and analyze them. Who is the audience, who are they trying to sell to, how does this commercial fit this show, what does it say about the product, the customers, and how do you feel about this commercial?
I have to admit, I would add at least one question to the list. "What hidden assumptions does this advertising use?" For example, car ads often include the notion that attractive women love powerful cars, or perhaps that a happy family sings in the family van, or... The contextual messages are often a major part of the advertising, but they aren't always messages that I choose to agree with. But unless you identify them, you may not even notice that they have slipped into your thinking.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2014/08/11/teach-children-marketing/
provides a useful reflection on advertising. The idea is simple -- watch television ads with your children, and analyze them. Who is the audience, who are they trying to sell to, how does this commercial fit this show, what does it say about the product, the customers, and how do you feel about this commercial?
I have to admit, I would add at least one question to the list. "What hidden assumptions does this advertising use?" For example, car ads often include the notion that attractive women love powerful cars, or perhaps that a happy family sings in the family van, or... The contextual messages are often a major part of the advertising, but they aren't always messages that I choose to agree with. But unless you identify them, you may not even notice that they have slipped into your thinking.