Lesson 21 – It’s all about image

Warm up

1. Ask students what their favorite advert is and why they like it.
2. Ask how much influence they think advertising can have on what we buy.
3. Tell them it is often said that ‘Advertising sells us a lifestyle or a self-image, not a product’. Ask for their opinions.

Main Activity

1. Tell students to read these types of adverts.
   
2. Ask them which type is most effective and why. Let them think of any other types.
3. Tell them they are going to become advertisers. Put them in groups of four.
   Direct them to the activity below Advertising executives. Tell them to read the instructions, and ask if they have any questions.
   Your company has five products to advertise:

   Advertising executives Your company has five products to advertise: small, plastic, three-wheel car (capable of carrying the driver and one passenger) toy tool sets for little girls, for working with wood very expensive, plastic jewelry (it might be a designer label product) disposable paper clothes (wear them and throw them away) hot air body drier (instead of towels for use after a bath or shower You have three budgets for each product: £ 1 million for media advertising £500,000 for poster advertising £200,000 for a publicity event You must think of the best way to spend your budget and the type of advert that you would use for media or posters. What would your ads be like? Media advertising costs National TV national radio day £20,000 day £10,000/minute evening £40,000 evening £5,000/minute national daily newspapers national monthly glossy magazines full page £20,000/minute full page £40,000/minute half page £10,000 half page £20,000/minute quarter £5,000 quarter £10,000 small £2,000 small £5,000 You also need to think of a publicity event that would catch people’s attention, e.g. using a celebrity to do something with your product.

4.  Explain that they should discuss the projects and choose two to advertise. They should think about the style of advertising that they might use to sell the products.
5. Tell them they need to think in detail about how they will advertise their chosen products. Write on the board:
   Product image – what can you emphasize the product to make it attractive?
   Target market – who will buy it?
   Budgets – where is the best place to advertise it and why?
   Style-what will the adverts be like? Describe your ads.
   Go around helping with ideas and language.
6. Tell the groups to choose their best advertising project to describe to the class. They must also decide who will describe the different parts of their advertising plans.
7. Groups take turns to explain their plans to the class. Invite questions and comments.
8. Ask which products they might buy and how the adverts affected their choices.

Follow up

• Groups choose one of the products and design a TV or radio advert for it
• They act the advert to the class. If you have the facilities, you can video or record the adverts.
• Ask the class to vote on which advert:
  – uses the best English
  – is most creative
  – would be most likely to persuade them to spend their money