Super Bowl Ads: Media Literacy Questions

USING SUPER BOWL ADS IN THE CLASSROOM

©2006 Frank Baker, Media Educator

US TV Networks

Here are some questions you might have your students ponder before the game:

1. What are the purposes of advertising, other than to sell?
2. What do you know about the Super Bowl game?  Where did you learn it?
3. Why does the game get tremendous media attention every year?
4. What compels some advertisers to want to put their ads on this once-a-year sporting event?
5. Why does ad time cost $6 million for just one 30-second ad?
6. Who decides what order the ads air during the game?
7. How do advertisers create buzz about their ads, even before the game is broadcast?
8. How do ads/brands use “social media”  before the game is played?
9. Create a chart listing the known advertisers and their parent companies.
10. Which ad(s) are you looking forward to viewing and why?
11. How do advertisers make money from their Super Bowl spots?
12. Might you find ads inside/outside/above the stadium? If so, where?
    Be on the lookout for not-so-obvious ads during the broadcast. (Students might want to create a list)
13. Who benefits from Super Bowl advertising?

Here are some questions to consider after the game:

1. How many ads were for:  alcohol?  soft drinks? snacks? animals? cars?  movies? Why is this so?
2. Which ads were political? How did you know?
3. What ad(s) did you find most entertaining, and why? (students should be specific and give details here)
4. What ad(s) did you find the most dull, and why?
5. Which ad(s) did you think were most effective, and why?
6. Which ad(s) were you most willing to share on social media, or via tweet, or email?
7. Which ad(s) featured well-known personalities? Why?
8. Total up the number of people (gender, children, ethnicity, etc.) seen in the ads and consider those not seen. What conclusions did you make?