Truth-in-Advertising Show and Tell
Have children bring in tobacco ads and other promotional items. What do the ads really want you to do? What is their message and what methods do they use to communicate that message?
Encourage children to bring in medical journals and invite a doctor to come in to talk about the pharmaceutical ads in these magazines. Which ads depict illnesses caused by tobacco use? Compare the ads for prescription drugs with the tobacco ads. Many big businesses are profiting from tobacco-related illnesses. What are the political and economic ramifications?
Invite children to bring in an ad that tells the truth about its product. Such an ad will communicate clearly what the product is, what it does, maybe how it works, and how it will benefit the user. Who are they trying to reach and how are they doing it? How does this ad differ from the tobacco ads? These activities are reprinted with permission from the The BADvertising Institute web site.
