98.1% of American households have a television, while 99% of people in America
can read (2). This means that being able to read barely beats out having a television in your home.
Most of us were taught to read when we were very young, but did we ever learn how to watch television?
How do the actors playing the characters affect your interpretation of the
commercial? Would your interpretation change if the characters were of a different race
or gender? What if the characters dressed differently or spoke differently? How would
that change your attitude of the character?
• How does the commercial try to get your attention? Does it use flashy graphics with
fast music? Does it alter the way we see the world, either using special effects or through
the story line?
• Who is this commercial aimed towards? Is it you or someone like you? How do you
know? Why do you think the advertiser created this commercial the way they did? Would
it have been as effective if it was just black and white text on the screen? Why or why
not?
