Campaign Ad: Four Levels of Effectiveness

"A great ad campaign will make a bad product fail faster. It will get more people to know it's bad."
William Bernbach

BIG IDEA:  

Do political ads matter?  Who is the intended audience?  With so much money being spent to target the minority of the minority, it is now time for us to look at the different commercials and examine the four levels of effectiveness. 

To read more about the science of political advertising.  Click here!  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Imagine that you are creating a television ad for vans shoes.  

• Who is the intended audience? 
• What do you want viewers to think about the product?
• What sounds and images would be part of the ad?   

2.  Intended Audience

• Surgeon
• Yes We Can

Do the ads target a general or specific audience?
How do you know?
Do you think it was effective?  Why or why not?

3. Four Levels of Effectiveness:  Emotion, Persuasion, Factual Claims, and Cinematic Style
 
a.  Emotion

• Prouder, Stronger, Better
• Celeb
• Taxes

How do you think of the makers of the ad want you to feel?  How do you know?
What is the tone of the ad?
What is the ad's argument?
How would you rate the emotional appeal on the rubric and why?

b.  Persuasion

• McGovern Defense
• Accountability
• Voting Booth

What is the central issue of the ad?
What is the ad's argument?  How do you know?
How would you rate the ad on the rubric and why?

c.  Factual Claims

• Accomplishment
• Rebuilt America
• Wolverine 

What specific factual claims are made?
What source is cited?
How would you rate the apparent truthfulness of the ad on the rubric?

d.   Style

• Wind Surfing
• Rollercoaster
• Senator Margaret Chase

4.  Rubric Review

• Surgeon
• Yes We Can

5. Group work (do not do the extension or homework)

• Emotion
• Persuasion
• Factual Claims
• Style

6.  Make your own ad using the iPads.   You will be assigned one of the levels of the effectiveness.

ROLES (in partners)

• Facilitator:  Check for understanding in groups on the levels of the effectiveness
• Resource Manager:  Focus on the sounds, images or text to support on one of the levels

ROLES (in groups)

• Facilitator:  Check for understanding in groups on the levels of the effectiveness
• Harmonizer:  Consensus on what a 1, 2, 3, and 4 means on the rubric
• Resource Manager:  Focus on the sounds, images or text to support on one of the levels
• Reporter:  Film and make sure everybody has a role.

RULE OF THREE (in partners)

•  Playing the expected role
•  Completing the assigned questions in your notebook
•  Keeping your political view out of this and analyzing it as expected

RULE OF THREE (in groups)

• Playing the expected role
• Completing the assigned lesson
• Keeping your political view out of this and analyzing it as expected  

*Making your own campaign commercial?  Assessments are based on ranking effectiveness.

QUESTIONS