Lesson Plan: Plan an Advertising Campaign to Attract New Citizens

Rationale: To encourage a greater media literacy - specifically, an ability to understand the role of visual media in conveying ideas; to recognize the five basic techniques used in advertising and propaganda; to use visual media as a creative way of thinking about and responding to issues of immigration.

Materials: Art supplies, access to the internet, tourism magazines and brochures

Timeframe: Three to four hours

Method:

  • Divide into two or more groups. Your assignment is to develop an advertising campaign designed to attract new residents to Indiana.
  • Choose an era to feature - for example, 1860, 1930, or 2000.
  • Start by researching readily available materials. Encourage students to bring in tourist brochures and magazines and search online specifically for tourist sites in the US and abroad.
Here are several different examples:
Questions:

1.What do you see? What elements do these online or published advertisements include in terms of sound, graphic design, and text content? What about the use of color? What specific visual images are included - and why are they used? What audience are these advertisements trying to reach? What works? What doesn't?

2. How does advertising work? Develop a broader understanding of "advertising strategies" with your students by identifying the five basic techniques used in propaganda. -"bandwagon", persuading people to do something by letting them know others are doing it. -"emotion", using words or images that will make you react very strongly about someone or something. -"testimonial", using the words of a famous person to persuade you. -"transfer", using the names or pictures of famous people, but not including direct quotations from them -"repetition" - repeating a central idea or product name at least three or four times. Which of these strategies are used in the advertisements you've been studying?

3. Planning your advertising campaign: what will you include? Develop a poster or brochure to attract new immigrants to Indiana. Remember to include text and visual images appropriate to the time frame you've chosen .

Ideas to consider: What's happening during that era in Indiana? In the world? Consult the Immigration Timeline to help you get started researching immigration patterns and laws. Who is your target audience - who do you want to move to Indiana and why do you want them to come? What information will they need to know - how can they get here, where will they live, and what jobs are available once they arrive? How can prospective immigrations contact you for more information? What images a)will appeal to potential immigrants , and b)are appropriate to the timeframe? What is the main "theme" of your campaign - if you had to sum up WHY they should move to Indiana in 10 words or less, what would you say? Do you want to include a "testimonial", or images of famous people, or make use of any of the other strategies of successful advertising? How will market your campaign - online? (not available in 1900, of course!) By mail? In a foreign newspaper?

4. Report! Compare ideas and strategies for developing an advertising campaign in these different eras. How did the different timeframes affect your choice of content, visual imagery or strategies for publicity and marketing? Who were your target audiences, and how would you convince them to come?

 

For more information about advertising in the 19th and 20th centuries, visit these sites: