NCERT Textbook: Understanding Advertising | Civics for Class 7 PDF Download

 Page 1


Understanding
Advertising
Today we are surrounded by advertisements or
ads as we call them. We watch these on
television, listen to them on radio, see them on
the streets and in newspapers and magazines.
Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisements
on them. When we go to cinemas, we see
advertisements before the film begins and on
the Internet, they often pop-up when we go into
different websites. What do advertisements do?
How do they attract our attention? Read more to
find out…
7
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
©NCERT
not to be republished
Page 2


Understanding
Advertising
Today we are surrounded by advertisements or
ads as we call them. We watch these on
television, listen to them on radio, see them on
the streets and in newspapers and magazines.
Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisements
on them. When we go to cinemas, we see
advertisements before the film begins and on
the Internet, they often pop-up when we go into
different websites. What do advertisements do?
How do they attract our attention? Read more to
find out…
7
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
©NCERT
not to be republished
T op T aste Daal Care Soap
What are the advertisements selling?
How do they describe the product?
What is the text trying to say? Guests should be served this.
What do the pictures convey? Love of a mother.
Would you want to buy these products
after seeing the advertisement?
Look at the two advertisements
above and fill the table.
Do you think there is a problem in
using the image of the mother as
the only person who takes care of
the child in the Care Soap
advertisement?
Advertisements draw our attention to various
products products products products products and describe them positively so that we
become interested in buying them. In this chapter,
we will focus on the two advertisements that you see
above to understand what advertising does and how
it works.
Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values
Have you ever heard of the word brand brand brand brand brand? Advertising
is all about building brands. At a very basic level,
‘branding’ means stamping a product with a
particular name or sign. This is done in order to
differentiate it from other products in the market.
So, let us     look again at the advertisements above.
Why do you think the manufacturers of the soap
and the daal gave their products a specific name?
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising 81
©NCERT
not to be republished
Page 3


Understanding
Advertising
Today we are surrounded by advertisements or
ads as we call them. We watch these on
television, listen to them on radio, see them on
the streets and in newspapers and magazines.
Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisements
on them. When we go to cinemas, we see
advertisements before the film begins and on
the Internet, they often pop-up when we go into
different websites. What do advertisements do?
How do they attract our attention? Read more to
find out…
7
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
©NCERT
not to be republished
T op T aste Daal Care Soap
What are the advertisements selling?
How do they describe the product?
What is the text trying to say? Guests should be served this.
What do the pictures convey? Love of a mother.
Would you want to buy these products
after seeing the advertisement?
Look at the two advertisements
above and fill the table.
Do you think there is a problem in
using the image of the mother as
the only person who takes care of
the child in the Care Soap
advertisement?
Advertisements draw our attention to various
products products products products products and describe them positively so that we
become interested in buying them. In this chapter,
we will focus on the two advertisements that you see
above to understand what advertising does and how
it works.
Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values
Have you ever heard of the word brand brand brand brand brand? Advertising
is all about building brands. At a very basic level,
‘branding’ means stamping a product with a
particular name or sign. This is done in order to
differentiate it from other products in the market.
So, let us     look again at the advertisements above.
Why do you think the manufacturers of the soap
and the daal gave their products a specific name?
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising 81
©NCERT
not to be republished
82 Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life
Branding actually came from cattle
grazing.  Cattle of different owners
grazed together in ranches and they often
got mixed up. The owners thought of a
solution. They started marking their
cattle with the owner’s sign by using a
heated iron. This was called ‘branding’.
Daals or pulses are usually sold loose in the
market. We usually know daals by their different
types like masoor ki daal, urad ki daal, etc. These
names are not brand names. When a company takes
masoor ki daal and puts it into a packet, it will need
to give the daal a special name. It needs to do this so
that we don’t confuse the daal in that particular
packet with the daal that is sold loose. They decide
on a name like ‘Top Taste Daal’. This naming of the
product is called ‘branding’.
Similarly, in the case of the soap, there are many
soaps in the market today. In bigger towns and cities,
we no longer just say soap but rather refer to them
using the different names of companies that make
them. Given the many soaps in the market, the
company will have to give the soap a different and
special name. By doing this they create another
brand of soap.
Just naming the product may not make us buy it.
The manufacturers that made the soap and the daal
still have to convince us that their soap and daal are
better than the others available in the market. This
is where advertising comes in. It plays a crucial role
in trying to convince us to buy the product that is
advertised.
The task of creating a brand does not stop at giving
the product a special name. For example, just when
‘Top Taste Daal’ begins to be sold, another company
decides to also sell daals in a packet and calls this
‘Best Taste Daal’. So, now there are two branded
daals in the market. Both the companies are keen
that you buy their daals.
The consumer consumer consumer consumer consumer is confused because you really
cannot tell the difference between ‘Top Taste Daal’
and ‘Best Taste Daal’. The manufacturer has to give
the consumer a reason to prefer a particular brand
of daal. Just naming a daal does not help sell it. So,
advertisers begin claiming certain special values for
their brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it
©NCERT
not to be republished
Page 4


Understanding
Advertising
Today we are surrounded by advertisements or
ads as we call them. We watch these on
television, listen to them on radio, see them on
the streets and in newspapers and magazines.
Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisements
on them. When we go to cinemas, we see
advertisements before the film begins and on
the Internet, they often pop-up when we go into
different websites. What do advertisements do?
How do they attract our attention? Read more to
find out…
7
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
©NCERT
not to be republished
T op T aste Daal Care Soap
What are the advertisements selling?
How do they describe the product?
What is the text trying to say? Guests should be served this.
What do the pictures convey? Love of a mother.
Would you want to buy these products
after seeing the advertisement?
Look at the two advertisements
above and fill the table.
Do you think there is a problem in
using the image of the mother as
the only person who takes care of
the child in the Care Soap
advertisement?
Advertisements draw our attention to various
products products products products products and describe them positively so that we
become interested in buying them. In this chapter,
we will focus on the two advertisements that you see
above to understand what advertising does and how
it works.
Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values
Have you ever heard of the word brand brand brand brand brand? Advertising
is all about building brands. At a very basic level,
‘branding’ means stamping a product with a
particular name or sign. This is done in order to
differentiate it from other products in the market.
So, let us     look again at the advertisements above.
Why do you think the manufacturers of the soap
and the daal gave their products a specific name?
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising 81
©NCERT
not to be republished
82 Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life
Branding actually came from cattle
grazing.  Cattle of different owners
grazed together in ranches and they often
got mixed up. The owners thought of a
solution. They started marking their
cattle with the owner’s sign by using a
heated iron. This was called ‘branding’.
Daals or pulses are usually sold loose in the
market. We usually know daals by their different
types like masoor ki daal, urad ki daal, etc. These
names are not brand names. When a company takes
masoor ki daal and puts it into a packet, it will need
to give the daal a special name. It needs to do this so
that we don’t confuse the daal in that particular
packet with the daal that is sold loose. They decide
on a name like ‘Top Taste Daal’. This naming of the
product is called ‘branding’.
Similarly, in the case of the soap, there are many
soaps in the market today. In bigger towns and cities,
we no longer just say soap but rather refer to them
using the different names of companies that make
them. Given the many soaps in the market, the
company will have to give the soap a different and
special name. By doing this they create another
brand of soap.
Just naming the product may not make us buy it.
The manufacturers that made the soap and the daal
still have to convince us that their soap and daal are
better than the others available in the market. This
is where advertising comes in. It plays a crucial role
in trying to convince us to buy the product that is
advertised.
The task of creating a brand does not stop at giving
the product a special name. For example, just when
‘Top Taste Daal’ begins to be sold, another company
decides to also sell daals in a packet and calls this
‘Best Taste Daal’. So, now there are two branded
daals in the market. Both the companies are keen
that you buy their daals.
The consumer consumer consumer consumer consumer is confused because you really
cannot tell the difference between ‘Top Taste Daal’
and ‘Best Taste Daal’. The manufacturer has to give
the consumer a reason to prefer a particular brand
of daal. Just naming a daal does not help sell it. So,
advertisers begin claiming certain special values for
their brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it
©NCERT
not to be republished
83
Manufacturers spend crores of rupees
to make sure that we see their
advertisements wherever we go.
from other similar products. Look below at how the
two daals try and do this.
From the advertisements, you can now see that
the two daals are saying different things. ‘Top Taste
Daal’ is appealing to our social tradition of treating
guests extremely well. ‘Best Taste Daal’ is appealing
to our concern for our children’s health and that
they eat things that are good for them. Values such
as treating our guests well and making sure our
children get nutritious food are used by brands to
create brand values. These brand values are
conveyed through the use of visuals and words to
give us an overall image that appeals to us.
Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values
 Advertisements are an important part of our social
and cultural life today. We watch advertisements,
discuss them and often judge people according to
the brand products they use. Given that
advertisements are such a powerful source of
influence in our lives, we need to be able to
understand the ways in which they work.
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising
©NCERT
not to be republished
Page 5


Understanding
Advertising
Today we are surrounded by advertisements or
ads as we call them. We watch these on
television, listen to them on radio, see them on
the streets and in newspapers and magazines.
Even taxis and rickshaws carry advertisements
on them. When we go to cinemas, we see
advertisements before the film begins and on
the Internet, they often pop-up when we go into
different websites. What do advertisements do?
How do they attract our attention? Read more to
find out…
7
CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER
©NCERT
not to be republished
T op T aste Daal Care Soap
What are the advertisements selling?
How do they describe the product?
What is the text trying to say? Guests should be served this.
What do the pictures convey? Love of a mother.
Would you want to buy these products
after seeing the advertisement?
Look at the two advertisements
above and fill the table.
Do you think there is a problem in
using the image of the mother as
the only person who takes care of
the child in the Care Soap
advertisement?
Advertisements draw our attention to various
products products products products products and describe them positively so that we
become interested in buying them. In this chapter,
we will focus on the two advertisements that you see
above to understand what advertising does and how
it works.
Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values Building brands and brand values
Have you ever heard of the word brand brand brand brand brand? Advertising
is all about building brands. At a very basic level,
‘branding’ means stamping a product with a
particular name or sign. This is done in order to
differentiate it from other products in the market.
So, let us     look again at the advertisements above.
Why do you think the manufacturers of the soap
and the daal gave their products a specific name?
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising 81
©NCERT
not to be republished
82 Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life
Branding actually came from cattle
grazing.  Cattle of different owners
grazed together in ranches and they often
got mixed up. The owners thought of a
solution. They started marking their
cattle with the owner’s sign by using a
heated iron. This was called ‘branding’.
Daals or pulses are usually sold loose in the
market. We usually know daals by their different
types like masoor ki daal, urad ki daal, etc. These
names are not brand names. When a company takes
masoor ki daal and puts it into a packet, it will need
to give the daal a special name. It needs to do this so
that we don’t confuse the daal in that particular
packet with the daal that is sold loose. They decide
on a name like ‘Top Taste Daal’. This naming of the
product is called ‘branding’.
Similarly, in the case of the soap, there are many
soaps in the market today. In bigger towns and cities,
we no longer just say soap but rather refer to them
using the different names of companies that make
them. Given the many soaps in the market, the
company will have to give the soap a different and
special name. By doing this they create another
brand of soap.
Just naming the product may not make us buy it.
The manufacturers that made the soap and the daal
still have to convince us that their soap and daal are
better than the others available in the market. This
is where advertising comes in. It plays a crucial role
in trying to convince us to buy the product that is
advertised.
The task of creating a brand does not stop at giving
the product a special name. For example, just when
‘Top Taste Daal’ begins to be sold, another company
decides to also sell daals in a packet and calls this
‘Best Taste Daal’. So, now there are two branded
daals in the market. Both the companies are keen
that you buy their daals.
The consumer consumer consumer consumer consumer is confused because you really
cannot tell the difference between ‘Top Taste Daal’
and ‘Best Taste Daal’. The manufacturer has to give
the consumer a reason to prefer a particular brand
of daal. Just naming a daal does not help sell it. So,
advertisers begin claiming certain special values for
their brand. In this way, they try to differentiate it
©NCERT
not to be republished
83
Manufacturers spend crores of rupees
to make sure that we see their
advertisements wherever we go.
from other similar products. Look below at how the
two daals try and do this.
From the advertisements, you can now see that
the two daals are saying different things. ‘Top Taste
Daal’ is appealing to our social tradition of treating
guests extremely well. ‘Best Taste Daal’ is appealing
to our concern for our children’s health and that
they eat things that are good for them. Values such
as treating our guests well and making sure our
children get nutritious food are used by brands to
create brand values. These brand values are
conveyed through the use of visuals and words to
give us an overall image that appeals to us.
Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values Brand values and social values
 Advertisements are an important part of our social
and cultural life today. We watch advertisements,
discuss them and often judge people according to
the brand products they use. Given that
advertisements are such a powerful source of
influence in our lives, we need to be able to
understand the ways in which they work.
Chapter 7: Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising Understanding Advertising
©NCERT
not to be republished
84 Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life Social and Political Life
What does this advertisement
want me to feel when I use this
brand?
Who is this advertisement talking
to and who is it leaving out?
If you have money to buy these
products, how would you feel
when you see these
advertisements? If you do not
have money, then how would you
feel?
Let us look more closely at the two advertisements
that we began the chapter with. If we ask all of the
questions listed, we will realise the way in which
these two advertisements work.
Branded daals cost much more than daals that
are sold loose because they include the costs of
packaging and advertising. So, many people cannot
afford them. However, because of the advertisement,
people who cannot afford Top Taste Daal might begin
to feel that they are not treating their guests properly.
Gradually, people will come to believe that only
branded daals are good and will want to buy the
daal that comes in a sealed packet rather than that
which is sold loose. But, in reality there is little
difference between daals that are sold loose and those
sold in a packet. We are just made to imagine the
difference because of the advertisement.
In the Care Soap advertisement, once again a
personal emotion is being used. As a mother, if you
want to show your child you care, then you have to
buy this expensive soap. The advertisement uses the
mother’s concern for her child. It tells the mother
that her love and care is best shown through using
this particular brand of soap. Because of this,
mothers begin to feel that using this soap is a sign
of how much they love their child. In this way, the
advertisement uses the love of a mother for her child
to sell this expensive soap. Mothers who cannot
afford this soap might begin to feel that they are not
giving their children the best care.
As you can see with the two advertisements, they
often target our personal emotions. By linking our
personal emotions to products, advertisements tend
to influence the ways in which we value ourselves
as persons.
Often several of our cricket heroes and our
favourite film stars also try and sell products to us
through advertisements. We may feel tempted to buy
these products because persons whom we consider
©NCERT
not to be republished