Purpose:

To learn how advertisers persuade you to buy/use their products and services. To learn how the media's use of wilderness ultimately affects the wild. To persuade an audience to buy a product or service you create using the advertising techniques you have learned.

Directions:

Activity One - Advertising Techniques

Have you ever wondered why you buy the products and services you do? What makes you choose one cereal over another or want to use a particular brand of shampoo? Advertisers work hard to ensure that you will buy what they want you to - this lesson will tell you how they do it.

1. Watch the video tape - observe what is being sold and the techniques the advertisers use to sell to you. Or find advertisements in a newspaper or magazine that catch your eye. What is being sold? What techniques do the advertisers use to sell it to you? The Internet is also a great source for advertisements -- try

2. Share with your classmates and teachers the things that you observed and/or know from watching other commercials and/or seeing other advertisements.

3. Look over the list of other techniques advertisers use. Now look at the ads again - which of these techniques do you see being used?

Activity Two - "Wild" Advertising

What do you think about the wilderness? How much of your opinion has been shaped by the commercials and advertisements you see? Becoming more aware how advertisers use the wilderness to sell products and services will help you become a more savvy consumer!

1. Collect ten examples of wild places and Wilderness areas being used in advertisements - at least five of your examples will be items not directly related to the Wilderness or outdoor recreation. Be sure to collect advertisements from a variety of sources (magazines, newspapers, and television).

2. Complete the "TV Advertisement Data Sheet" for the television commercials you collected.

3. Share your collection with your teacher and classmates. What is being sold? How is the wilderness being used to sell the product? Do you notice any trends?

4. Look over your advertisements carefully. List any potentially undesirable behaviors that are being portrayed; high impact practices, personally dangerous practices, and/or things that aren't really feasible in the setting they are portrayed.

Activity Three: Differing Viewpoints

Learning to examine an issue from all sides can expose you to new thoughts and ideas. It can also help you make sensible, informed decisions. In this activity you are going to be given a role to play and a position to defend. Use the information you are given to persuade your classmates to take your position!

1. Draw a role from the hat.

2. Study the information you are given for ten minutes and get ready to persuade the class that your position is the right one.

3. The advertising agency and product representatives will present first. Then the forest representatives will present. Finally the floor will be open for citizen input.

4. Listen to all sides carefully - then give your vote on whether or not the film project should take place. You should vote according to which side convinced you the most.

5. After the teacher has tallied all the votes - discuss your reasons for voting the way you did. Which side was most persuasive? Why? Was it the information that persuaded you or the speaker? Did any of the speakers utilize particular persuasive or advertising techniques? Do you think it was helpful to hear from all sides before voting? Why or Why not?

Activity Four - "You Create It"

Here's your chance to beat the advertisers at their own game! Develop your own ad campaign for a product or service you invent!

1. Think of a creative product or service to sell to the class.

2. Develop an advertisement for you product - remember to use the different advertising techniques you have learned. You must also remember to who your target audience is and develop an ad that will appeal to them.

3. In a persuasive speech "sell" your product to the class. You can use drawings, photo collages, a PowerPoint presentation, or a create a video tape commercial for your product.

4. Evaluate your ad campaign - Did your target audience seem interested in your product? Why or Why not? Which techniques did you use? Did they work well? Why? Would a different technique have worked better? Why or Why not?

Vocabulary: Propaganda, Bandwagon, Glittering generality, Testimonial, Transfer etc.

On-line Resources:

Media Awareness (advertising terms),

Cliphoto.com and

Cool Clips (Nature Clipart)

Career Explorations:

Multiple positions in Advertising, graphic artist, Environmental Activist, Policy Maker, Environmental Educator, Teacher,

Evaluation/Outcome:

By the end of this series of lessons you should be able to identify different techniques advertisers use to sell their products. You should also be more aware of how wilderness is portrayed in advertisements and how that portrayal ultimately effects wild areas. In addition, you should be comfortable creating and giving a persuasive speech.