Students can find and explain different examples of one method or they can find and explain one example of each method.

1.   Psychological Controls People are controlled by three forces; fear, desire and conformity. Ads use these forces to sell their products
   1.  Fears; loneliness, rejection, old age, hunger, failure, pain, sickness
   2.  Desires; sex, love, beauty, popularity, power, youth, security, health, wealth, freedom, physical pleasures
   3. Conformity (acting out of habit or out of what others expect) for example;
      1.  others bought it in the past so you should buy it
      2.  you've always bought it so keep buying it
      3.  everyone is buying it, so you should.
      4. people expect you to buy it - it's the Canadian/American way.
2.   Product Association Certain people, places, things and activities are associated with a product to make it more attractive or to overcome distrust
   1.   Famous People are used to promote products in two ways:- Their glamorous personalities are associated with the product. For example, a sexy celebrity can make a certain perfume seem sexy. An actor who plays gamblers may promote a gambling casino
   2. They appear to be authorities. A race car champion may be an expert on motor oil. A golfer may be an expert on golf clubs.However, a boxer promoting hot dogs or a movie star promoting acar has no special expertise. They are false authorities.
   3. Attractive People Ads use cool, fun loving, wealthy, powerful attractive or youthful people to suggest that if you use their product, you can join them or become like them.
   4. "Regular folks" Ads use common, simple people to create trust
   5.  Desirable Possessions objects (sports car, jewellery) or animals (a cat's mystery, a dog's nobility, a lion's power)
   6.  Enjoyable Activities (parties, sports, concerts, cruises)
   7. Attractive Places (beautiful house, exotic island, garden) For example; Ads may associate cigarettes with the healthy outdoors even though the association is false since smoking makes people sick.
3.   False Promises - Exaggerated or Impossible Powers
   1.  Exaggerated Power - Some ads exaggerate a product's power. Ads may show a kid becoming popular by wearing a certain brand of jeans or a woman driving men wild with her perfume.
   2.  Impossible Power - A soft drink turns a school into Party Central, a car turns a regular guy into a superhero.
4.   The Power of Language
   1.  False Impressions - Words can be misleading "Dentists Recommend Dentyne" does not mean all dentists. Some dentists, perhaps two dentists recommend it. Do they recommend it for healthier teeth or for its taste? Made with 100% pure beef doesn't mean made entirely of 100% pure beef.
   2.  Misleading statistics "Brand X has 30% more cleaning power" More than what? How can you really measure cleaning power?
   3.  Innuendo or double meaning - Some words have a second meaning. They suggest something they would not say directly. The name, Virginia Slims, describes a thin cigarette but suggests that smoking makes you thin. There is also sexual innuendo in ads.
   4.  Emotional Effects (connotations) Words can exaggerate or overly dramatize like "Gigantic" instead of "Large" and "Giveaway" instead of "Sale" Words like "New" and "Improved"suggest something is better when it may not be. A product is called a "holistic fragrance for the body, mind and spirit" instead of a perfume.
   5.  Deceptive Tone - Ads sound caring or sincere to create trust
   6. Memory Devices - some ads use catchy jingles and slogans
5.  Humour Men and women may be presented as comical stereotypes -fools which makes viewers feel superior. (Fools are different than witty comics who are admired) If an ad wants to send a childishly blunt message it uses humour and foolish characters. The blunt message can be delivered loudly and repetitively
   1.   by the fool or
   2. to the fool. Viewers accept this obnoxiously repeated message without feeling insulted. If viewers laugh and feelsuperior to the fool, they will remember the message better.
6.   Technical Tricks Camera angles, lighting, colour, graphics, distortions, etc.can make a product look more impressive 
7.  False Urgency This prevents the consumer from comparing or carefully considering the purchase. "For a limited time only", "While supplies last!" "Midnight Madness Sale" Often products are regularly on sale, sometimes the prices are not even lower. "Lose 10 pounds in ten days!" is a different form of rushing a consumer by promising instant change and sudden happiness.
8.  Targets Ads often target specific buyers according to age (adolescent,elderly etc.), gender (male or female), role/occupation (mother,business person), cultural group (Blacks, Hispanics), interestgroup (skateboarding, sports, literary, pets, rock music, travel)
9.   Gender Roles - Many ads present and reinforce male/female stereotypes. Some ads recognize more modern images for men and women, especially when the ad is targeting a professional woman.
   1.   Clothing - In ads, men's clothing tends to indicate power and authority (uniforms, suits, cowboys in leather and boots) It is often heavier, darker and covers more of their body. Women's clothing generally makes them look softer, more revealing and more vulnerable, especially their shoes.
   2.  Positions The body language of men and women reveal who is in power although they may both appear cheerful and loving. Men tend to be shown in positions of power; women are shown in positions of submission or vulnerability.

      When men and women are shown together, the man is often in a dominant position; he may be ahead of her, above her or be holding her. He may be in charge of a task or looking into the distance. Often the woman is shown in a submissive position, watching him and waiting for him.

   3. Eye contact A woman looking at the viewer is inviting the viewer's attention. (If the ad targets men, she may be flirting even if she is with a man. If the ad targets women, she is likely displaying her success). Men's eye contact is similar but shows more direct control. Ads may show a woman being dominant if they are targeting groups who are offended by gender inequality such as professional women.

SEE IF STUDENTS CAN GUESS THESE STATISTICS ON THE MEDIA

Advertising (figures are in U.S. dollars)

Ad Placements

Magazine Ads

TV Ads

TV Viewing

Media Violence

Statistics are from 1991 Utne, 2000 Media Literacy Organizations on the Internet, Neilson Studies and American Academy of Pediatrics website compiled by Sheldon Oberman www.sheldonoberman.com

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MEDIA LITERACY Viewing and Representing Strand

Subliminal Tricks and Hidden Techniques in Advertising

Sheldon Oberman visits Manitoba schools to present a slide show and talk to expose the familiar ads we look at every day. The show uncovers hidden meanings in words and subliminal messages in pictures, showing how ads play upon our fears and desires and affect our views of men and women.

The slide presentation can have any size audience. Optional sessions follow for discussion and demonstration. Grants are available to subsidize the visit.

Sheldon Oberman 204 478 1644 soberman@mts.net