2. Learning Outcomes
All (C) : I can research and plan
appropriately. My findings are well
presented and I can identify the
target audience
Most (B) : I can research
successfully. My findings are
presented effectively and I can
understand the needs of a target
audience
Some (A): I can research
independently. My findings are
presented imaginatively and I can
understand how ads are tailored
to audiences needs
3. What do they do?
Common issues surrounding children and advertising are:
• Making children desire things they cannot afford or would not be able to
use
• Pester power: encouraging children to pester their parents for advertised
products or services
• Showing children in unsafe or dangerous situations that other kids might
emulate
• Making children feel inferior, especially if they don’t buy the products or
services shown in the ads
• Showing children in a sexual way. I.e. wearing make-up and glamorous
clothes
• Advertising soft drinks & high fat / sugar foods to children
4. Activity
• Find a range of ads featuring
children: what do they have in
common? How, in general, are
children REPRESENTED in
advertisements in the UK?
• Some charities have used the
same sort of shock tactics that
commercial advertisers use.
• For example, what do you
think about this government
campaign using babies and
children to persuade people to
give up smoking?
5. Activity
• In a campaign, the National Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children produced a series of posters that
included the ones on the next slide. The strapline was “Real
children don’t bounce back”. The campaign was designed
to encourage people to report suspected child abuse.
• Look at the ads on the next slide and discuss the points
below:
• Do you think the posters are effective?
• Are the NSPCC justified in campaigning against the effects
of violence using such imagery?
• What is the evidence?
6.
7. Learning Outcomes
All (C) : I can research and plan
appropriately. My findings are well
presented and I can identify the
target audience
Most (B) : I can research
successfully. My findings are
presented effectively and I can
understand the needs of a target
audience
Some (A): I can research
independently. My findings are
presented imaginatively and I can
understand how ads are tailored
to audiences needs
8. Reasons why children appreciate or reject adverts.
What do they reveal about their ability to read advertisements?
Appreciated features Rejected Features
•Humour •“Idiotic” adverts
•Cartoons •Claims that appear too amazing to be
•Slogans or songs true (even if they are true)
•The presence of animals •Exaggeration of the qualities of products
•Action or their favourite heroes •Adverts that are too long or slow
•Reinforced myths •Unoriginal arguments
•The presence of older children or an •Ads where the link between the images
older person and the product is not direct or seems
•A well known star or celebrity confused
•Abstract adverts
•Frightening adverts
•Serious statements that remind them of
school
•The use of reference
9. Analyse the way that it has been constructed to
persuade its target audience
• What effect does the water have?
• What atmosphere does it create?
• How effective is the slogan: new
thinking, new drinking ?
• What does it suggest?
• Can you think of any
consequences of trying to drink
underwater?
• How does the layout lead the eye
of the consumer and link the
product to the activity?
• What is the name of the product?
Is it effective?
• Why might this advertisement be
more problematic if displayed in a
leisure centre?
10. Activity
Parents and people generally
agree that it is very important
for the intellectual
development of children to
read as much as possible.
Penguin Books have
harnessed this idea in the
advertisement on the
opposite page. However, the
advertisement itself was
judged to be ambiguous and
possibly harmful to
children. The complaints
against it were upheld.
Do you agree with this
adjudication?
11. Analysis and discussion
• What is the effect of the black and white photography?
• Where are the two young people? What kind of location?
• Look specifically at the younger of the two boys. What is his ethnicity?
• How is he behaving?
• Look at the layout of the advertisement: the gun is absolutely in the middle
of the frame. What is the effect of this?
• What references are there to books in the advertisement?
• The meaning of the advertisement relies exclusively on understanding the
logo. How likely is it that children will recognize it and therefore understand
the intended meaning?
14. •it was inappropriate to show
children being coerced into doing
something illegal
•parents and children might
emulate the activity
•the ad trivialised gun culture
15. The Kellogg's advertisement featured on the previous slide is attempting to
persuade children and young people to eat cereal for breakfast rather than
snacking on less healthy food. How successful do you think it is?
Analysis and discussion
• What is the effect of the black
and white photography?
• What kind of location is this?
• What is the effect of isolating
him from anyone else?
• How does the slogan work?
• How effective is what the
advertisement says about the
problem?
• Does it convince you, for
example?
16. Learning Outcomes
All (C) : I can research and plan
appropriately. My findings are well
presented and I can identify the
target audience
Most (B) : I can research
successfully. My findings are
presented effectively and I can
understand the needs of a target
audience
Some (A): I can research
independently. My findings are
presented imaginatively and I can
understand how ads are tailored
to audiences needs
17. Children and Food advertising
The ASA has had to look into the issue of how advertisers address
children’s diets on a number of occasions.
Research and presentation activity
• Find at least 3 advertisements for food that feature young
people. Analyse the target audience.
• How are they represented?
• Where is the location? What does it suggest?
• What is the appeal of the product to the target group?
• What techniques does the advertiser use e.g. photography,
colour, slogan, celebrities, logo or brand name, layout?
• Do you think that the advertisement is responsible or
misleading?
• You are to make a short presentation of your findings to the
class.
