Art and Copy

ADVERTISEMENTS: For the following documentary, choose five (5) of the available advertisements you encountered while viewing the film. These advertisements are numbered and listed below in the order in which you will see them while watching. Complete these components for each of your five choices:

1. 
   Describe the exact product or idea being sold.
   
2. 
   What specific propaganda technique(s) do you see illustrated in the advertisement? Explain how the advertisement uses that form of propaganda.
   
3. 
   Who do you believe to be the target audience and why?
   
4. 
   Give one insightful comment made by those being interviewed about the creation of the ad.
   
5. 
   Explain how the advertisement grabs the consumer’s attention. Do you think the advertisement is ethical or unethical, and why?
   

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STATISTICS: The following statistics about advertising are provided by the documentary. They are listed in the order you will encounter them. Review these statistics and then answer the questions that follow.

________ 2. 44% of all satellites launched are for commercial communications.

________ 3. 75% of global satellite services’ revenue comes from television.

________ 4. 70% of U.S. broadcasting revenue comes from ads.

________ 5. In the 1970s, the average city dweller received about 1,000 advertising messages every day. Today it’s closer to 5,000.

List at least ten (10) mediums through which you receive advertisements each day (ie. Internet, etc.) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________ 6. There are roughly 750,000 billboards in the U.S.

________ 7. $7 billion is spent on billboard advertising a year.

________ 8. The average U.S. household watches over 8 hours of T.V. per day.

________ 9. There are 1353 HDTV satellite channels around the world today.

________ 10. This number will grow 350% by 2013.

________ 11. There are 565 satellite-delivered TV networks in the U.S.

________ 12. 75% of U.S. homes have 3 or more televisions.

How many television sets do you have in your home? _________________________________________________________________________________

________ 13. Food companies spent $32 billion on advertising last year.

________ 14. Car companies spent more than $15 billion on advertising last year.

________ 15. Political advertising spent over $2.6 billion in 2008.

________ 16. Last year Time Warner sold $8.8 billion worth of advertising.

________ 17. A 30-second ad on American Idol costs $750,000.

________ 18. Michael Jordan’s value to Nike has been estimated at $5.2 billion.

________ 19. A 30-second ad during the Super Bowl costs $2.7 million.

________ 20. Americans see 62 minutes of ads each day on the internet, TV, and mobile screens.

________ 21. 65% of Americans believe they are “constantly bombarded with too much” advertising.

How do you feel about the amount of advertising you are exposed to each day?

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________ 22. Advertising agencies employ 182,600 people in the U.S. There are about 26,000 ad agencies worldwide.

________ 23. 80% of all advertising is produced by only four global holding companies.

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Once you have reviewed the above statistics and have answered the associated questions, rank the statistics (on the blank next to the number) in order of most shocking (1) to least shocking (23). Explain your reasoning for the statistics you chose as most and least shocking.

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REFLECTION: Now that you have viewed the documentary in its entirety, answer the following questions:

1. 
   Was the attitude toward the subject matter of this documentary primarily positive or negative? Explain.
   

2. 
   What is the agenda or position of this documentary? In other words, what point or idea do the documentarians want you to walk away with? Explain. Who do you think is most benefiting from this documentary? Provide specific examples to support your position.
   

3. 
   The advertisers interviewed describe some advertisements as “art” and some as “pollution.” In your opinion, what’s the difference between advertisement as “art” and advertisement as “trash?” What percentage of all ads do you think fall into the art vs. the trash category.
   

4. 
   What is your opinion about advertising in America? Have your views changed since watching the film?