Student Worksheet

Deconstructing Advertisements - Activity Instructions

Advertisements are all around us, but do you ever stop to think about what they’re really telling you about the world? In this activity you’ll consider an advertisement from a billion dollar industry - the world of junk food. You’ll learn to see an advertisement with new eyes, through learning about visual techniques.

Part A: First Impressions

Step 1.

Look at the Example Advertisement. Write down:

• What can you SEE in the advertisement?

• How does the advertisement make you FEEL?

• What does the advertisement make you want to DO?

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Step 2. (Optional)

Share the advertisement with a sibling, friend, parent or caregiver. Ask them to answer the same questions as above:

• What can you SEE in the advertisement?

• How does the advertisement make you FEEL?

• What does the advertisement make you want to DO?

Step 3. (Optional)

If you have completed this activity with a friend, sibling, parent or caregiver, swap answers. Look for areas of similarity and differences. Discuss the questions below and take notes:

• What did we see differently? Why do you think we focused on different things?

• Did the advertisement make us feel the same way? Why/why not?

• Is the advertisement supposed to be for both of us? Why/why not?

Part B: Learning About Techniques

Step 1.

Pick one of the visual techniques below and read the text about them.

Step 2.

Look at the advertisement again. Think about how the advertisement uses the technique you learnt about. Ask yourself the questions below:

• What is the purpose of the technique?

• What do you think the intended impact of the technique is?

• How does the technique change the meaning of the text (ad)?

Taking It Further

Read about another technique and consider the above questions.
Find a different advertisement, online or in your home (coupons, mail, brochures), and look for examples of the same technique/s.

Deconstructing Advertisements (home learning)

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