Slogans and Symbols in Commercials

Overview
This lesson is designed to help students understand how slogans and logos are designed to appeal to consumers’ emotions. The students create an imaginary product and make a slogan and logo for it.

Objective
Students will be able to define transfer as a persuasive technique and give examples; describe how slogans and logos can influence purchasing decisions; and identify various persuasive techniques.

Standards Addressed
Language Arts — Writing

Grades 8, 9 and 10

Writing Applications — Benchmark E

05. Write persuasive compositions that:

• Establish and develop a controlling idea.

• Support arguments with detailed evidence.

• Exclude irrelevant information.

• Cite sources of information.

 

Writing Process, Prewriting — Benchmark A

01. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

04. Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies (e.g., adapting focus, content structure and point of view) to address purpose and audience.

 

Grade 8

Communications: Oral and Visual, Listening and Viewing — Benchmark B

02. Identify and analyze the persuasive techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial, glittering generalities, emotional word repetition and bait and switch) used in presentations and media messages.

 

Grade 10

Communications: Oral and Visual, Listening and Viewing — Benchmark C

04. Identify how language choice and delivery styles (e.g., repetition, appeal to emotion, eye contact) contribute to meaning.

Materials

• Poster board

• Colored markers

• Video camera

Procedure

Part 1

1. Talk to the students about the persuasive technique of transfer, or when words, images or symbols arouse emotions and connect the consumer’s emotions to the product being sold. Give some examples such as “melts in your mouth, not in your hands” for M&Ms and “snap, crackle, pop” for Rice Krispies.

2. Pass out the student handout Slogans and Symbols: Transfer and have students work with a partner to complete the pages. You could also use a projector to show the pictures.

3. Have students share their handout responses.

4. Distribute the Power of Transfer handout and have students work in pairs to complete it.

Part 2

1. Divide the class into groups of two or three students. Have them create the following:

A make-believe product

A slogan for the product

A logo or picture for the product

A commercial to sell the product to their classmates

2. Remind students of the various persuasive techniques. This lesson deals with transfer, so they should have some element of transfer in their commercial. They can use whichever other techniques they would like.

3. Ask them to make a list of the techniques they used in creating their commercial.

4. Have each group present their product to the class. Theymight use a poster, video, PowerPoint presentation, skit, song or any other approach that is acceptable to you.

5. Have the class vote on which product they would buy. The winning product might get some kind of award or small prize.

6. Enrichment: Students could actually create a product. This is much more time consuming but could be combined with a lesson about inventions.

Evaluation