Product Description
Advertising is pervasive. A typical North American child views a staggering 40,000 ads every year on TV alone! With such a vast number of commercials out there, who's helping kids decode the messages? Media maven Shari Graydon, that's who!

Made You Look offers an intriguing exploration of advertising's inner workings. From the earliest roots of advertising to the guerrilla marketers of the 21st century, this revealing book shows kids where ads came from, where they're going, and how they work.

Bursting with behind-the-scenes secrets, thought-provoking Try This at Home activities, and plenty of tips to empower young consumers, Made You Look is any child's ultimate guide to the advertising universe.

Key Features:- Dynamically written by an experienced media authority- Concrete examples drawn from familiar, contemporary ads- Thought-provoking tips and easy-to-do activities encourage critical thinking ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Extremely Helpful Book
Advertising.We see it every day, ignoring it, thinking it can't affect us.In her book Made You Look, however, Shari Graydon reveals to us the subtle tricks advertisers use to lure us in unknowingly, as well as many other little known facts about this little known business.

Starting with a brief history of the business, going back to the ads of ancient Greece for escaped slaves, the book moves on to describe the basics of advertising today.This overview includes such information as the differences between how advertisers and consumers see advertising, and how we ourselves can be walking advertisements by wearing clothes with company logos.

From chapter 2 to chapter 5, the book shifts to a warning about how advertising affects us.The author describes many of advertiser's methods in detail, such as the "don't be a geek" strategy and the phenomenon of infomercials.I was especially intrigued by the section on public relations, an easy way to disguise ads under news stories and interviews.

In the last chapter, the author discusses how to fight back against advertisers using the power of the "three C's": consumer power, companion power, and complaint power.Consumer power is boycotting a product, companion power is getting your friends and family to join you in boycotting it, and complaint power is communicating with the company through a phone call, e-mail, or letter, and telling them exactly what they did that you don't like.By demonstrating how to use this power, readers can learn that they can make a difference.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it explained the business of advertising in detail, and also showed how to fight back.Complemented by the delightful illustrations of Warren Clark, this book is an excellent read for young and old alike, and I would highly recommend it.

Different
Made You Look is about advertising and how it works. It is very informative. I didn't know advertisers had so many tricks. I like this book because it shows so many different perspectives of advertising and lots of opinions. Kids ten and up would like this book. It has some good quotes and facts. It's a very unique book because you won't find many books about advertising for kids and adults. Some of the lies advertisers have told are outrageous.Did you know that when Coke first came out it was advertised as a medicine?There are different rules about ads in each country.For example, Canada has a law that you can't target infomercials at kids under twelve. For me, this was a page turner because it was different than books I usually read.

Sets the Record Straight
"Made You Look" is about the advertising industry and how it became so powerful and influential. It explains the ways ads catch our attention, and how advertisers try to influence us. It also explores how advertisers who pay broadcast, print and other media outlets to feature their commercials can control the sorts of news and entertainment we will or won't see, read and hear.

Before you buy something based on an ad, "Made You Look" recommends that you ask yourself: Who wants me to believe what the ad says? How do the advertisers benefit if I buy this product? Aside from the product itself, what else does this ad sell? What information does this ad leave out?

"Made You Look" draws attention to the important things that money can't buy, and how time away from TV, radio, computers and billboards frees us to reach for the relationships and experiences that enrich us and make the world a happier, healthier place.

Glad I looked...
"Made You Look" is a wealth of information with outstanding illustrations to help young people understand advertising and how media impacts our lives and decisions. This title from the list,SC Reads 2005-2006: 100 Titles for High School Students, is one that older elementary, middle school and high school students can all enjoy. In a classroom or at home, this book provides great sparks for lively discussions!

Made Me Look Again
This is an excellent tool for teaching media literacy and critical thinking to school-age children, and even to adults!I appreciate the history, the presentation of multiple perspectives, and the education about consumer advocacy. ... Read more