Article Art Critiques Made Easy
One-word answers and grunts don't count as student critiques of art. How to foster interesting and authentic discussion in the classroom.
Original art by JoDee Scissors, Creative Commons
Art in Advertising
How does visual artwork support key messages in advertising?
In this 3-5 lesson, students will explore elements of advertising design in posters, billboards, and media ads. Students will determine the “call to action” in ads and discuss the role of art in those messages. They will apply elements and principles of design to create original advertisements for an audience.
Lesson Content
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze the theme, elements, and principles of design from posters, billboards, and media ads.
- Examine principles of design in advertisements.
- Describe a “call to action” in an advertisement.
- Create an original poster that will effectively communicate a message.
- Use art critique strategies to analyze the theme, elements, and principles of design in a poster ad.
Standards Alignment
Recommended Student Materials
Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.
- Slide: Art in Advertising
- Vocabulary: Elements and Principles of Design
- Capture Sheet: Analyzing Art in Advertising
- Rubric: Art in Advertising
Websites
Teacher Background
Teachers should review the vocabulary and Art Critiques Made Easy article prior to implementing the lesson.
Student Prerequisites
Students should have basic knowledge of an advertisement.
Accessibility Notes
Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Provide preferential seating for visual presentations and allow extra time for task completion.
Engage
- Display the resource, Slide: Art in Advertising, and explore the posters, billboards, and media ads. Ask students: What do you notice? Why would a poster, billboard, or ad move people to action? What themes/forms are effective? What themes/forms are not effective? Where do you see advertisements?
- Give students a hypothetical school scenario and brainstorm strategies to get people’s attention (design, wording, colors, clarity). For example, a bake sale, student council nominations, volunteers needed for field day, or a field trip fundraiser. Generate a class list of the ideas. Ask students: How can you get an audience's attention?
- Have a discussion with students about the role of art in advertising. Ask students: What art forms do you see in advertising? (Visual arts, dance, music, media) How can an art form captivate the attention of an audience?
- Introduce students to the term, call to action (CTA). In a print or web advertisement, a CTA encourages people to act. This message may want people to: buy now, tune-in, subscribe, call, gather, download, limited offer reward, learn more, etc. Ask students: Can you think of a time you were driving and saw a billboard with a CTA? For example, an exit number for a restaurant or a certain number of miles to an attraction. What about on YouTube? For example, a CTA to buy an app or tickets to a concert. Have students make connections between themselves and the advertisements around their everyday lives.
Build
- Distribute or display the word wall, Vocabulary: Elements and Principles of Design. Tell students they are going to review and discuss good composition in poster or digital artwork. Refer back to the examples in the Slide: Art in Advertising when describing an element.
- Divide students into small groups or pairs. Have students select a poster, billboard, or media ad to analyze with the Capture Sheet: Analyzing Art in Advertising. What elements of design are present? Where is your eye drawn to first? Next? Last? Who is the audience? What is the call to action?
- Have students share their findings with the class. As students share information, make sure to note any important details or clarify misinformation.
- Explain to students that design is an essential part of good advertising. Lines, shape, form, color, space, etc. all play a role in getting an audience to act. Art elements contribute to the persuasion of a message. A planned campaign can oftentimes be the deciding factor in the success of advertisement.
Apply
- Tell students they are going to create a poster, billboard, or media ad with a specific call to action. Choose a theme for the class such as a book fair, class president, choir performance, recycle initiative, fundraiser, homework hotline, or have the class brainstorm a common theme.
- Students will work in pairs or small groups to sketch the agreed-upon theme. Students can reference the Vocabulary: Elements and Principles of Design handout as they plan lines, shape, form, color, space, texture, and value.
- Distribute art materials and/or illustration software to students. Share the Rubric: Art in Advertising with students and allow time for them to work on their advertisements. Facilitate through the groups, providing feedback and support as needed.
Reflect
- Display the advertisements around the classroom. Review the critique seven tips from the article, Art Critiques Made Easy. Guide the students through a critique of the advertisements. Discuss how good graphic design and stimulating color schemes can make a positive impact on an individual’s choice. Consider what makes some advertisements more visually appealing than others.
- Allow students to observe, discuss, and critique the advertisements.
- Assess students’ knowledge of advertisement design with the Rubric: Art in Advertising?
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Original Writer
Rebecca Holden
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Editor
JoDee Scissors
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Updated
March 22, 2022
Related Resources
Lesson Media Awareness I: The Basics of Advertising
In this 6-8 lesson, students will examine the influence of advertising from past and present-day products. Students apply design principles to illustrate a product with background and foreground. This is the first lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
Lesson Media Awareness II: Key Concepts in Advertising
In this 6-8 lesson, students will continue the exploration of advertising and media awareness. Students will examine the purpose, target audience, and value of advertisements. Students will then create original, hand-drawn advertisements. This is the second lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
Lesson Media Awareness III: Crossing the Finish Line
In this 6-8 lesson, students will develop and market a new children’s product. They will apply advertising design strategies to market their product. This is the third lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
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