Tobacco Advertising:
- Be a Tobacco Ad Buster
Using tobacco ads from magazines have the Guides create create their own "honest" tobacco ads or spoofs for international non-smoking day, Weedless Wednesday, which falls in January each year.
- How about a Tobacco Tour Through Town?
Use the ideas in this handout for a neighbourhood research audit of tobacco advertisements. Visit grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations; search the streets for billboards and signs with tobacco advertising.
- Truth-in-Advertising Show and Tell
This handout offers ideas for comparing the content of truthful ads with the misleading messages in tobacco ads.
Christmas Commercialism
This activity guide explores the relationship between Christmas and commercialism. Incorporate a discussion on these topics into a meeting where Guides are making homemade Christmas presents to give to family and friends.
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Conduct a blind "Taste Test"
Have your girls conduct their own "Brand Name" face-off. Use popular foods such as soft drinks, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milk mixes or french fries. Be sure to include cheaper, generic brands along with assorted name brands.
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Buy Nothing Day
The idea behind International Buy Nothing Day is to make consumers examine their spending habits and to think about the effect of mass consumerism on the cultural and natural environment of the world. You could celebrate by spending the day visiting a pioneer village or a museum or making something from scratch that you would normally buy, i.e. a loaf of bread, a handmade scarf, etc.
Truth in Advertising:
Put It to the Test!
Using this handout, turn your Guides into advertising detectives. Pick a commercial that makes a very specific claim and then put it to the test at your meeting.
The Anatomy of Cool
This activity guide encourages girls to re-evaluate their own definitions and perceptions of what "cool" means. Activities include creating a "Media Kid" which the Guides can dress in the latest clothing and accessories.
Putting "scientific" commercial claims to the test
Check out the unusual science fair project of two intrepid twelve year old girls who decided to investigate scientific claims made in television commercials.
And now a word from our sponsor ...
This activity guide introduces Guides to the popular marketing practice of "product placement" in movies and television.
