WHAT IS THIS PROJECT ABOUT?

This project is about advertising and more specifically it looks into the effects of advertising. Advertising is a tool used to get people to want to do or to buy something. They are created to sell something or to make people do something. And they are everywhere: on television, in magazines, in newspapers, billboards, busses, the Internet, and movie theaters. They are even present in places we are not aware of.

Advertisements stick into our heads even if we are not conscious of it. In fact, most will claim that ads have little effect on their habits, interests, or behaviours. But it is not true. We are all influenced by advertising and it has an effect on us.

It is important that we are all aware of the strategies that are used to persuade us and that we are critical when analysing adverts. It is only then that we can take informed decisions on what to buy. Even more, if advertising promotes stereotypes, racist or sexist messages, we should not buy those products and we should report it to the authorities.

In this project, you will learn and analyse ads and once you know how advertisements are designed, you will be able to design a commercial and a printed ad that takes into account the target audience but is not based on stereotypes.