Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know [Paperback]

Shari Graydon (Author), Warren Clark (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Advertising is pervasive. A typical North American child views a staggering 40,000 ads every year on TV alone! With such a vast number of commercials out there, who's helping kids decode the messages? Media maven Shari Graydon, that's who!

Made You Look offers an intriguing exploration of advertising's inner workings. From the earliest roots of advertising to the guerrilla marketers of the 21st century, this revealing book shows kids where ads came from, where they're going, and how they work.

Bursting with behind-the-scenes secrets, thought-provoking Try This at Home activities, and plenty of tips to empower young consumers, Made You Look is any child's ultimate guide to the advertising universe.

Key Features:

• Dynamically written by an experienced media authority
• Concrete examples drawn from familiar, contemporary ads
• Thought-provoking tips and easy-to-do activities encourage critical thinking

(200402)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-This skillfully age-tailored overview of the advertising industry has an appealing cover design, a fast-paced and friendly text, cartoon illustrations, and a generous smattering of juicy, relevant sidebars and quotes. Though the book is decidedly unscholarly in look and feel, it is thorough in coverage and thought-provoking. Using examples readers will find familiar, it deconstructs ad campaigns without undue condemnation or bias, exposing their sometimes less-than-salient subtexts and neatly outlining the common techniques advertisers use to manipulate consumer appetites. It then provides a quick list of questions young consumers can use to help ensure that their purchasing decisions are tempered by a healthy degree of critical thinking. The book concludes with a simple but eloquent overview of how advertising impacts both the quality of life and overall worldview of North Americans. It suggests some responsible alternative strategies budding young capitalists might someday apply to marketing their company's products and services, and lists resources for both consumer complaints and anti-consumer activism. Useful for reports, but also an alluringly hip selection, this title will be a particularly effective "heads-up" for kids immersed in-and, therefore, often oblivious to-consumer culture.
Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 5-9. Advertising, explains Graydon, is increasingly "the water in which we swim," a reference to a Ghanaian proverb, and some of the most sought-after fish in the pond are consumers in the 8-14 demographic. This lively analysis seeks to raise preteens' awareness of themselves as targets and vectors of advertising messages. Brimming with anecdotes, facts, and quotes ("In our factory, we make lipstick; in our advertising, we sell hope"), the text covers controversial programs that bring ads into the schools, and describes traditional marketing methods as well as "stealth" techniques: hiring "cool hunters" to hang around trendsetters, using movie product placements, drawing on the media resources of a conglomerate to tout entertainment products under the guise of objectivity. Graydon never simply holds forth. She often ends sections with a provocative question ("How many female mascots can you think of?"), and she helpfully includes addresses of watchdog organizations, tips for writing effective complaints, and an impressive set of endnotes. Young adults attracted by the hip jacket may cry "false advertising!" when they see the naive-looking cartoons inside, but once they start reading, they'll find themselves sucked in as readily as younger readers: "Made you look," indeed. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Annick Press (September 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550378147
• ISBN-13: 978-1550378146
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #531,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Culture jamming for the younger generation!!, February 25, 2004

By 

Diane Moore - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know (Paperback)

I thought that this book was very interesting when I picked it up, because I had never seen anything like it! Even the author states:
"Do you remember the day one of your parents sat you down to have a serious talk about advertising? Me neither."

Basically, no one really teaches you about this stuff. I remember that in seventh grade, one of my favorite subjects was called, "Propaganda." It taught you about how advertisers use good looking people to sell products, or how they compare against other products. It was interesting, but didn't last very long! You usually learn about it yourself and by that time, you are up to your eyeballs in debt!

The book looks at both sides of the story. It points out how advertisers try to get your attention and may do things that aren't always ethical, but it also points out the facts.

There are some sections called "Try this at home!" Basically, these are exercises to make people more aware of the advertising around them. One suggests to look around your environment and see if the melting pot of society exists on your TV or in commercials. Chances are, it doesn't. On another section similar to this, the book asks you to look at the ingredients on a "brand name" product and a "no name" product and see if the ingredients are the same. Usually, they have similiar contents but people are more familiar and feel more comfortable with the brand name. So, we are more likely to buy it.

Towards the end of the book, there is a section that gives you information on how to speak out about what you think may not be right. If you are offended by something that is advertised to you, it suggests that you write to the company, because writing is taken more seriously than a phone call. There are also resources in the back on how to get a hold of companies and organizations that can continue to help you in your quest!

Must read for pre teens and teenagers alike!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made Me Look Again, June 9, 2006

By 

Michelley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know (Paperback)

This is an excellent tool for teaching media literacy and critical thinking to school-age children, and even to adults! I appreciate the history, the presentation of multiple perspectives, and the education about consumer advocacy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I looked..., August 19, 2006

By 

A. Lamprey (Columbia, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know (Paperback)

"Made You Look" is a wealth of information with outstanding illustrations to help young people understand advertising and how media impacts our lives and decisions. This title from the list, SC Reads 2005-2006: 100 Titles for High School Students, is one that older elementary, middle school and high school students can all enjoy. In a classroom or at home, this book provides great sparks for lively discussions!