:TV Commercials
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Approach:  One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus:  Understanding persuasive techniques.
Resources: 2 television advertisements on laptop computer.
1.7MB

Questions/instructions:
This activity uses the computer.
Click the TV Commercials button.
I’m going to show you two television commercials.
Click the Play Button, pause the video when ‘Pause’ sign appears.

FIRST COMMERCIAL - YEAR 8 ONLY
Video script:
Woman: This is most strange... oh, look.
[Old man at side of road]
Man: (to old man) I think we’re lost.
[Evil laughter from old man]
Man & Woman: How odd!
[Couple drive away. Old lady at side of road further on]
Man: The lady with the lamp. I’m sure she’ll help us.
[Insane gibberish from old lady]
Man: (nervously) Oh, oh... thank you... we’ve found it!
[Couple drive away. Three strange men at side of road further on]
Man: Ah, I’m sure these people will help
Excuse us...(to men).
[Men stare blankly into car]
Woman: Ahhhh! (strangled cry)

% responses
2002 '98
y4
y8
YEAR 8 ONLY:    
1. What sort of feelings do you think this commercial is trying to give?
Prompt: How do they want people to feel when they watch this commercial?
scary/spooky feelings
•
84 (67)
The commercial is trying to give scary or spooky feelings, so that people might feel afraid.
2. What techniques have been used in the commercial to cause those sorts of feelings?
black and white only
•
31 (24)
scary music
•
44 (37)
spooky appearance of characters
•
65 (79)
bizarre behaviour of characters
•
53 (43)
set at night
•
46 (34)
Overall quality of response:
good
•
18 (10)
moderate
•
62 (56)
poor
•
20 (34)
3. Why might an advertiser use a scary commercial to try to sell something?
capture attention, make memorable
•
40

YEAR 4 & YEAR 8 (unless indicated by • ):

Now let’s watch another commercial.
Click the Play Button

SECOND COMMERCIAL - YEAR 4 & YEAR 8

Video script:  [Irish dance music only throughout most of video]
 Line up friends and family in the U.K. and Europe this weekend for a huge chat, with Telecom.
Call anyone, anywhere in the U.K. and Europe from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday and only pay for the first 20 minutes. The rest of the call is free.
Excludes 059 calls. 


4. Why has Telecom made this commercial?
to encourage calls to friends in other countries
14 (18)
29 (34)
Telecom made this commercial to encourage people to use their phones to call friends in other countries.    
5. Apart from the message at the end of the commercial, what has the rest of the commercial got to do with ringing up people in other countries?

makes you think of other countries (e.g. animals, music)
•
31 (37)
just designed to catch attention
•
12 (9)
6. Why do you think Telecom made the commercial like this — with lots of cute animals?
Possible points: – capture attention
– keep attention
– cause amusement
2 or more relevant ideas
4 (6)
17 (12)
1 relevant idea
28 (23)
49 (48)
no relevant ideas
68 (71)
34 (40)
 
Total score:

10–14
•
11 (10)
8–9
•
21 (14)
6–7
•
33 (32)
4–5
•
24 (25)
0–3
•
11 (19)

Commentary:
Year 4 students were only shown the second commercial and were only asked questions 4 and 6. It is notable that the students did not seem particularly aware of the underlying purpose of the Telecom advertisement.

 
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