Propaganda, Logo Commentary, Grade Reports, and Extra Credit

1. Students turned in rough drafts of Anthem essays.
2. Journal: "Advertising" What are some of your favorite commercials? How are you affected by advertising? Write about a time you know you were influenced by an advertisement Students took notes on different types of propaganda
3. Students read the article "The Swooshification of the World" then wrote a logo commentary of their own.
4. Students were given grade reports and test extra credit options.

Propaganda Notes:
What is Propaganda: SPREADING INFORMATION; BIASED; APPEALS TO EMOTION
Different types of propaganda:

1. Bandwagon: Tries to persuade everyone to join and do the same thing. “Everyone’s doing it!”
2. Testimonial: endorsement by a celebrity
3. Euphemism (or Doublespeak)try to obscure the meaning of what is being talked about by replacing plain English with deliberately vague jargon.Examples:the term "strategic misrepresentations" as a euphemism for "lies." Or "employee transition" as a substitute for "getting fired"
4. Fear - attempts to reach you at the level of one of your most primitive and compelling emotions. Politicians use it when they talk about crime and claim to be advocates for law and order. Environmentalists use it when they talk about pollution-related cancer. Fear can lead people to do things they would never otherwise consider.
5. Glittering Generality The slogan is so attractive that the audience does not challenge its true meaning. Examples: "The American Way" "support our troops" "the common good" Using words so strongly positive in emotional content that just hearing them makes you feel good. The words express a positive meaning without actually giving a guarantee.
6. Name Calling: criticizing another person or product
7. Plain Folks: Suggesting something is practical and a good value for ordinary people. Appealing to common people
8. Rewards – toys, gimmicks, kids’ clubs, rebates, etc.
9. Transfer - Transferring good looks, feelings, or ideas to the person who the propaganda is meant to influence. Suggests positive qualities to be associated with the product and the user.
10. Repetition - a jingle, word, or image is repeated over and over again, and gets stuck in someone’s head, so they buy the product or believe what is being said.
    

"The Swooshification of the World"
Vocabulary
Ubiquitous – existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent (ubiquitous fog)
Subliminal – existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness (subliminal advertising)
Literary Term:
Tone: a writer’s attitude toward his subject and/or audience
Hyperbole: exaggeration (I’m so hungry I could eat a horse)

Assignment: Logo Commentary. What is a commentary? It is anything serving to illustrate a point or prompt a realization.

•

• Brainstorm: jot down (make a list or draw) as many logos as you can think of.

• Choose one and write about it with an exaggerated tone as Rick Reilly does in “Swooshification.”

– 100 word minimum

• Illustrate. Draw (with detail) or find at least 3 images that express your tone.

GRADE REPORTS AND EXTRA CREDIT: See this link for information, instructions, and due dates.