Lesson 14 — Activity 3: Package vs. Product
Completion requirements
Lesson 14 — Activity 3: Package vs. Product
We know that advertisers are very careful to present their products in positive ways. To do this, they often package the product so that it appears to be bigger or better than it actually is.
We may have heard that it is important to "read the fine print." This is certainly true of advertising.
Children's toys are often presented as far more exciting or valuable than they actually are. The pictures on the package as well as the ads on TV may show several toys while only one is in the box. Advertisers do add warnings that other toys or accessories are sold separately. The warning is in small print or mentioned quickly at the end of the ad, however. As well, sometimes toys are depicted as much larger than they are in reality.
Advertisements for vehicles often use similar tactics. The ad might show a car or truck going through extreme conditions. They also might be shown manoeuvring at an incredible speed through obstacles. It’s as if to say that we would be able to do the same thing if we owned that vehicle. The fine print, however, warns us not to try driving the vehicle as shown in the advertisement because only professional drivers could do so without wrecking it.
We may have heard that it is important to "read the fine print." This is certainly true of advertising.
Children's toys are often presented as far more exciting or valuable than they actually are. The pictures on the package as well as the ads on TV may show several toys while only one is in the box. Advertisers do add warnings that other toys or accessories are sold separately. The warning is in small print or mentioned quickly at the end of the ad, however. As well, sometimes toys are depicted as much larger than they are in reality.
Advertisements for vehicles often use similar tactics. The ad might show a car or truck going through extreme conditions. They also might be shown manoeuvring at an incredible speed through obstacles. It’s as if to say that we would be able to do the same thing if we owned that vehicle. The fine print, however, warns us not to try driving the vehicle as shown in the advertisement because only professional drivers could do so without wrecking it.
Advertisements for food can be misleading too. The names of foods may suggest to us that they are very good for our health, but we may find out otherwise when we look at the ingredients.
Similarly, some foods advertised as "low in fat," for example, could also be accurately advertised as "high in sugar," but that is not what the company wants us to think about!
We need to be sure that we do not assume that the presentation of the product in an advertisement or on the package is an accurate depiction of the product itself.