1. How were ads different in earlier times? What do these differences suggest
about changes in consumers? To find out, go to one of the repositories of old
ads on the Web. Do a search for "old ads" or "advertising history" or
go to http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu* or a company site such as www.coke.com or www.nike.com and search for advertisements. Choose an old ad that interests
you and update the campaign for a contemporary audience.
PowerWeb Articles
2. Go to the Student portion of the Online Learning Center and choose Chapter 12. In the left navigation bar under News, Articles & Links, click PowerWeb Articles. On the next screen, under the topic of Advertising, read the article, "Inventing the Commercial." After reading this article, list five events that you might add to the history of advertising.
In addition, scan the list for other articles of interest pertaining to this chapter.
Industry
Web Excursion
3. Come up with a list of a half dozen or so of your favorite products, services, stores, fashion designers, etc. Plug them into your browser with a .com address, such as www.pepsi.com, www.benetton.com, www.clubmed.com, or www.jcrew.com to see if they have a company name Web site. If they don’t, key word the company name into any search engine to see if they have one under a different name. When you find your six products, evaluate each Web site as a form of advertising. Is it successful?
PowerWeb Articles
4. Go to the Student portion of the Online Learning Center and choose Chapter 12. In the left navigation bar under News, Articles & Links, click PowerWeb Articles. On the next screen, under the topic of Advertising, read the article, "Virtual Product Placement." Does virtual product placement blur the line between advertising and content? If so, is this ethical?
In addition, scan the list for other articles of interest pertaining to this chapter.
Controversies
Web Excursion
5. Search the Web for current advertising issues. You might want to go to one of the ad criticism sites like the BADvertising Institute at www.badvertising.org* or the Center for Commercial Free Education at www.ibiblio.org/commercialfree/.* Alternatively you could access the FTC "Consumer Protection" site at www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm* to read about the current advertising issues that the FTC feels the public needs to be warned about. Choose one of these issues and prepare a brief report for the class.
Media World CD-ROM Excursion
6. View track 20, Your Ad Here: Pizza Hut Places Billboard on Spacecraft (from NBC News Archive).Are we bombarded with too many ads? If you were offered considerable compensation, would you wear only clothing with a certain company’s ads on them? Would you have an ad tattooed on your body? Would you name your first child Hershey Kiss? Where would you draw the line?
Weekly Update Archives
7. Go to the Student portion of the Online Learning Center and choose Chapter 12. In the left navigation bar under News, Articles & Links, click Weekly Update Archives. On the next screen, under the topic of Advertising, read
04-01-02, "Liquor Ads on Broadcast Television? Issues and Controversy." Use information from this article and Chapter 12 to answer the question, Should liquor companies be allowed to advertise on television? Why or why not?
In addition, scan the list for other articles of interest pertaining to this chapter.
