Audience Activity: Who Is The Audience?


Thanks to “Access Learning” magazine, (June 2004) for recommending this activity.

Every media message is designed specifically to appeal to a “target audience.” Posted below are several advertisements taken from newspapers and magazines.

For each ad, students could ask:

  • who produced the ad?
  • who is the ad targeted to?  (male vs. female; young vs. old; rich vs, poor; white vs. minority; urban vs. rural)
  • what are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach?
  • what section of the newspaper (or magazine) might you find this ad? (news; business; feature, sports, travel, other ); why?
  • what techniques are used to attract attention? (bold fonts; testimonials; statistics, etc.)
  • how is photography used? is it effective?

Click on an ad, which will open a separate window, which can be printed.

CNN Ad, from American Demographics magazine
CNN Ad, from NY Times (5/9/05)
E! (from Television Week,4/05)
Magazines, from Oprah (Feb 2009)
Magazines (NY Times)
Nick At Nite (from Adage website)
Sands Resorts,  The State Mentor, Ad Council
Lake Murray Magazine,  The State Alcohol Ads
Timberlake Golf Club, The State Food Ads
Oakleaf Village, The State Celebrity Ads
Freedom, magazine ad from The Ad Council Diet Ads (weight loss)
Get Caught Reading, ad from People Magazine Tobacco Ads
Life Cereal, from TV Guide magazine Nick At Nite Ad, from NY Times
Newspapers In Education,
The State newspaper, Columbia SC
Coke Great Brands ad
Image from website: American Advertising Federation
Coke Coke Coke

Images from website: American Advertising Federation