Tonight’s question Of the six “question” words (who, what, where, when, why and how), the one that tends to draw the most thoughtful responses is ________. (One word answer) Place your answer and your name at

Advertise this! CMAT 102 Prof. Jeremy Cox

Commercials Commercials: Try to tell you a product for profit. Examples: ature=related ature=related

Announcements Announcements: Usually run when stations haven’t sold enough paid spots. They’re free but don’t try to sell a product. Two categories: Promos: upcoming events and shows PSAs: advances plea on behalf of nonprofit or activity Examples:

Ethics Don’t “oversell” or deceive your audience It will backfire. People know when they’re being talked down to. Also, avoid cliched and misogynistic portrayals of men and women. And generally avoid anything too controversial. We’re trying to sell something here.

How long 10 seconds = 25 words 20 seconds = 45 words 30 seconds = 65 words 60 seconds = 125 words

What Hilliard says “On the whole, vocabulary should be dignified, but not colorless; attention-getting, but not trite; simple and direct, but not inane or illiterate.” Read out loud to a friend. Ask: “What do you say?” “How do you say it?” Don’t try to put every feature in the commercial. Commercials have a “law of diminishing returns” when it comes to words.

Some more pointers If you fall in love with the brilliance of your ad, try taking the product out of it, Hilliard paraphrases a creative director. If you still love it, toss the ad. The ad is about the product, not the commercial. You’ve probably seen this happen before when you see what you think is a great commercial and you tell a friend about it later but can’t remember what the commercial was for.

3 types of “appeals” Ethical appeal: When someone seen as a “good person” tells us to buy something, transferring their goodness onto the product. Also, whenever an ad relates to one’s values. Logical appeal: Persuasion via facts. Emotional appeal: Appeals to non-logical, non- intellectual aspects and goes straight to your needs and wants. They get beyond reason to our desire for power, prestige and to be seen as having good taste.

Examples Ethical appeal: Logical appeal: Emotional appeal:

Ad organization 1) Get the audience’s attention. Ways to do that: Humor Startling statement or visual Rhetorical question Vivid description Novel situation Suspenseful conflict

Ad organization 2) Hold its interest. Ways to do that: Construct a mini-drama (a conflict that keeps us watching until the resolution) Anecdotes Statistics Examples Exciting visuals and sounds

Ad organization 3) Create the sense that a problem exists related to the function of your product 4) Give the idea that the product can solve the problem 5) Finish strong by telling them what to do next. “Mail in a donation; here’s the address.” “Run right out and buy it.” “Call now. Operators are standing by.”

Ad critique A standard, 500-word essay in form of a personal reflection Include your initial perceptions of the advertisement Your understanding of the social context of the ad The similarities and differences in your perceptions of the product before and after viewing the ad What factors kept your perceptions the same or changed them Place the commercial in its cultural context (today, if contemporary)