Ad Attack

What your kid learns

• Who paid, and what do they want?

  Every ad is paid for by someone who wants something. Usually they want you to buy, sign up or keep watching.

• Three common tricks

  Everyone has it: you’re meant to feel left out. Famous faces: stars and influencers make it look cool. Hurry: “limited” or “only 2 left” rushes you.

• Ads aim at you

  Ads pick a target audience by age and interests. Games, videos and apps know a lot about what you like. Other tricks use fear, catchy music or “new and improved.”

• Three questions

  What are they selling? How do they want me to feel? Do I need it? Ask all three before you tap Buy.

The story: Three tricks in one ad

Jade and Alex watch a pretend sneaker ad and name its tricks.

1. Helper: Jade and Alex are watching videos. An ad pops up for ZoomKicks, a made-up sneaker brand.
2. Jade: A famous player wears them. And it says everyone at school has a pair.
3. Alex: Plus it says “Only 2 left!” I’d better hurry.
4. Helper: Pause. Who paid for this ad, and what do they want?
5. Jade: ZoomKicks paid. They want me to feel left out, so I buy.
6. Alex: Famous faces, everyone has it, and hurry. That’s three tricks in one ad!
7. Helper: Spot it, stop it. Once you name the trick, it loses its power.

The game: Trick spotter

Each pretend ad hides tricks. Tap every line that uses a trick.

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

advertising

paid messages that try to get you to buy or do something

persuasion

trying to change what someone thinks or does

target audience

the group of people an ad is aimed at

brand

the name and look a company uses so you remember it

Questions at the end

• An ad says “Only 3 left!” Which trick is that?
• Who paid for an ad for a new game?
• What is a “target audience”?
• An ad shows kids laughing with a toy and one kid alone without it. How does it want you to feel?
• Which is one of the three questions to ask about an ad?

Remember this

Spot it, stop it.

Talk about it

What’s an ad you remember from this week? What trick did it use?

Try it at home: Ad count challenge

1. Watch 30 minutes of videos, or play a game you already play.
2. Count the ads you see.
3. Name 3 tricks they used.

The whole mission works with no account or app.

School standards

• Grades 6–8
• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Spending