HistoryWeb Excursion - 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. You can search for "old ads" or "advertising history" or go to http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa/* 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.
IndustryWeb Excursion - 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?
ControversiesWeb Excursion - 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*. Alternatively you could access the FTC "Consumer Protection" site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm *, 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.
*Some Web site addresses may change. When they do, please search for the Web site by name or topic on your favorite search engine. |
