Name: _______________________________

Date: ___________________

Deceptive Advertising Assignment

Individually or in groups of two, you will create a deceptive/misleading ad. This ad
may address any kind of consumer, through any medium, which you so choose. You
may want to create a commercial that airs on YouTube, or place an ad in the Gazette.
This being said, you may present or submit your ad in several different ways:
1. 30 second commercial skit in class
2. 30 second recorded commercial
3. Computer Generated ad for a newspaper/website
Keep in mind that these ads are designed to capture the attention of their intended
audience. Use a lot of colors, flashing lights and sounds to captivate your viewers. Based
on your ad, it should be clear what demographic you are targeting.
Along with your ad, you will also have to submit a 200-300 explanation of why your ad
is misleading. Did you make claims that were not tested or proven through research? Are
you forcing customers to pay out of pocket for repairs or replacement parts? Explain why
consumers would have been drawn to your product or service. What would have
negatively affected them after purchase? You should also explain how your business
would benefit from this ad. (It would be a good idea to discuss the financial benefits for
the dealer and the financial hindrances for the consumer) Justify where/when and through
medium you feel your ad would be best utilized to hit your target audience.
*For those who wish to create an ad that would be placed in a newspaper or on a website,
you must create dimensions for your ad as space is limited in these mediums. (Just as air
time for a commercial costs money, so too does advertising space)* With this in mind,
your ad should be submitted within the medium you designing it for. This can be as
simple as taking a print screen of the website or newspaper you are targeting, and
laying your ad on top of that image.
Time will be allotted for you to work on this assignment in the computer room or
library and any uncertainties that you might have will be addressed during these
periods.
See examples below of deceptive/misleading advertisements that you have likely been
subject to. These are here to help you get the ball rolling. They should serve as inspiration
for the ad you plan on creating.

DUE DATE: _____________

Activia Yogourt
Dannon's popular Activia brand yogurt lured consumers into paying more for its
purported nutritional benefits -- when it was actually pretty much the same as every other
kind of yogurt.
Falsely touting the "clinically" and "scientifically" proven nutritional benefits of the
product, Dannon even got a famous spokesperson, Jamie Lee Curtis, for the supposed
digestion-regulator. But after a while, some customers didn't buy it.
A class action settlement last year forced Dannon to pay up to $45 million in damages to
the consumers that filed the lawsuit and others who said they'd been bamboozled. The
company also had to limit its health claims on its products strictly to factual ones.

Taco Bells Seasoned Beef

When consumers raised questions about what was actually seasoning Taco Bell's
seasoned beef, the company didn't know how to respond.
It was simply using oat filler -- which means the meat isn't
seasoned beef at all, according to USDA standards. The
franchise had been tricking its consumers into thinking its
products were of a higher grade than they actually were.
Taco Bell took the opportunity to poke fun at itself, hoping
to mitigate the PR disaster. The company even took out a
full-page newspaper ad thanking complainants for suing. So far, so good. Taco Bell's
proactivity and willingness to address the controversy have restored some faith in the fast
food giant.

Checklist
Does my ad include any misleading or deceptive statements?
If I am presenting, am I wearing appropriate attire?
Have I made good use of the time I that has been allotted to me?
If I am creating an ad for a newspaper or website, have I filled the space allotted to me?
Have I incorporated colors, sounds, designs or statements meant to capture the attention
of my audience?
Will my ad reach my target audience/right demographic?
Have I incorporated appropriate vocabulary words?
Have I reference the Canadian Competition Bureau?