Advertising Detectives
Essential Question
How can you recognize advertising on a website?
Key Vocabulary:
advertisement - a message that draws attention to a product and encourages people to buy it
brand - a name and identity shared by products that are made by a certain company (example: Nike, Pepsi, Disney, etc.)
banner ad - an online advertisement that looks like a bar or button on the website
advergame - an online advertisement that is also a game you can play
video ad - an online advertisement that is a video and might look like a TV commercial
pop-up ad - an online advertisement that "pops up" over the content on the website
sponsorship ad - an ad that specifically supports an event, activity, person, or organization
Ad Types and examples:
Banner Ad: Time Magazine for Kids – (www.timeforkids.com/TFK/)
Video Ad: Kids WB – (www.kidswb.com/)
Advergame: Apple Jacks (http://www.applejacks.com/vacattack.aspx)
Pop-Up Ad: (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pop-up_ads.jpg)
Sponsorship Ad: (www.pbskids.org/lions/)
EXPLORE one of the following websites, where there are different kinds of online ads and the advertising is more obvious.
National Geographic for Kids
Sports Illustrated for kids
Be an Ad Detective!
You will be looking for the five different kinds of ads on their site.
Detective clues:
Group 1: Media Companies
Nickelodeon: (www.nick.com/)
Disney: (www.disney.go.com/index)
The sites in the first group are created by media companies, which make TV shows and movies. The shows and movies are part of what they are advertising. They may also be selling products related to these shows and movies. Use your detective skills to find out when they are trying to sell you something!
Group 2: Toy Companies
Barbie: (www.barbie.com/)
Lego: (www.lego.com/)
The sites in the second group are by toy companies. They encourage you to play online, but also to buy toys. Can you spot the ads?
Group 3: Virtual Worlds
Neopets: (www.neopets.com/)
Club Penguin: (www.clubpenguin.com/)
The sites in the third group invite you to join clubs or groups. Some of what you can do at these sites is free, but some of it costs money. These sites also sell things related to the clubs. Bring out your magnifying glass to figure out where the advertising is!
How can you recognize advertising on a website?
Key Vocabulary:
advertisement - a message that draws attention to a product and encourages people to buy it
brand - a name and identity shared by products that are made by a certain company (example: Nike, Pepsi, Disney, etc.)
banner ad - an online advertisement that looks like a bar or button on the website
advergame - an online advertisement that is also a game you can play
video ad - an online advertisement that is a video and might look like a TV commercial
pop-up ad - an online advertisement that "pops up" over the content on the website
sponsorship ad - an ad that specifically supports an event, activity, person, or organization
Ad Types and examples:
Banner Ad: Time Magazine for Kids – (www.timeforkids.com/TFK/)
Video Ad: Kids WB – (www.kidswb.com/)
Advergame: Apple Jacks (http://www.applejacks.com/vacattack.aspx)
Pop-Up Ad: (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pop-up_ads.jpg)
Sponsorship Ad: (www.pbskids.org/lions/)
EXPLORE one of the following websites, where there are different kinds of online ads and the advertising is more obvious.
National Geographic for Kids
Sports Illustrated for kids
Be an Ad Detective!
You will be looking for the five different kinds of ads on their site.
- You are each assigned to a site that’s either a media company, toy company, or virtual world.
- Each type of site uses advertising in different ways.
- Each of these websites tries to make you want to hang around so you can see more ads that sell you things.
Detective clues:
- Look in the columns on the right side of the webpage. This is a prime place for advertising.
- Click on links. You need to look closely at some parts of the site to figure out whether they are selling something.
- Look for tiny letters on something that say “Ad” or “Advertisement.”
- Look carefully at the games, contests, and videos. They may be fun, but are they also encouraging you to buy things?
- Look for ads that seem to target kids. Do you think any of the ads are targeting you specifically?
Group 1: Media Companies
Nickelodeon: (www.nick.com/)
Disney: (www.disney.go.com/index)
The sites in the first group are created by media companies, which make TV shows and movies. The shows and movies are part of what they are advertising. They may also be selling products related to these shows and movies. Use your detective skills to find out when they are trying to sell you something!
Group 2: Toy Companies
Barbie: (www.barbie.com/)
Lego: (www.lego.com/)
The sites in the second group are by toy companies. They encourage you to play online, but also to buy toys. Can you spot the ads?
Group 3: Virtual Worlds
Neopets: (www.neopets.com/)
Club Penguin: (www.clubpenguin.com/)
The sites in the third group invite you to join clubs or groups. Some of what you can do at these sites is free, but some of it costs money. These sites also sell things related to the clubs. Bring out your magnifying glass to figure out where the advertising is!
