Q2 Truth in Advertising: Ad Detective
Truth in Ads
Everywhere you look—on your phone, in your games, or while scrolling social media—ads are popping up trying to sell you something. Sometimes, it’s even about things you just searched! Ads are everywhere, and it’s essential to learn to figure out which ones are real and which are trying to trick you.
Even though it’s illegal for companies to lie about their products, some find sneaky ways to avoid being caught. That’s why we have the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is part of the U.S. government, and its job is to protect people like you and me by ensuring businesses play fair and tell the truth.
Step 1. Think about how many times you have seen advertisements that reflect one or more of the below to persuade you to purchase their product or service.
- Bait-and-switch is when a company advertises a product or service it never intends to provide.
- Misleading photos or illustrations easily sway consumers to buy their great-looking product to look or feel better.
- Price Deception occurs when a company uses means to trick the consumer into thinking it is paying a lower price for the product.
- Unsubstantiated Claims occur when (for example) the advertisement suggests that the consumer take this pill for 30 days and lose 20 pounds without exercising. There are no facts to back up or substantiate this advertisement.
- Comparison Inconsistency is when a business says its product is comparable to brand-name products without sufficient evidence.
What is bait and switch?
Direct link (1:40 min.)
Step 2. Play the video titled: What is bait and switch? as a class and discuss any examples that come to mind that may have happened to you or any adults in your life.
Step 3. Using the Truth in Advertising Techniques Examples Worksheet, work alone, in pairs, or together as a class. Discuss the advertising techniques used to persuade us to purchase their product or service. Every advertisement uses one or more techniques to make its product more appealing.
Step 4. Play the video What Happens When You Order A $29 Mini Laptop From A Facebook Ad?. Discuss this idea with someone you know who uses Facebook. It may be with an adult you know.
What happens when you order ...
Direct link (4:49 min.)
Step 5. You have learned about advertisers' different techniques to appeal to the consumer. Your next step is to create your own advertisement to share with your teacher and your classmates.
Competencies & Standards
MITECS Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students, and
1. Empowered Learner
c. Use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways
d. Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies
2. Digital Citizen
a. Cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world
b. Engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices
d. Manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online
5. Computational Thinker
b. Collect data or identify relevant data sets
Websites and Documents
Websites
Videos from Outside Sources
- A Short Message from the False Advertising Industry YouTube (3:24 mins.)
- What Happens When You Order A $29 Mini Laptop From A Facebook Ad? YouTube (4:50 mins.)
- What is Bait and Switch? YouTube (1:41 mins)
21t4s Documents & Quizzes
