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E9 G - How ads try to get attention

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E9 G - How ads try to get attention

Mini-description: Recognise basic attention tools in fictional English advertisements: slogan, image, discount, celebrity-style endorsement and call to action. You work in short steps: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again. No full translation is needed.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Klasse 9, G-Niveau, Baden-Württemberg. Clear language, strong context, short connected texts and communication first.

Einleitung

Ads want one thing first: your attention. They often use a short slogan, a strong image, a discount, a well-known-person style endorsement or a clear call to action. In this course, you learn to spot these tools and say what they do.

You do not need to understand every word. Look for the main message: What is shown? What is promised? Who is the ad for? What should the viewer do next?

This course links Englisch, advertising, media literacy and target audience.

I can ...

I-can goal	At the end, I can ...
Spot	identify a slogan, image, discount, celebrity-style endorsement and call to action.
Understand	get the main message of a short ad without translating every word.
Explain	say who the target audience may be and give one reason.
Respond	give a short opinion and ask a follow-up question.
Create	write and present a short fictional ad with a clear message.

Your learning loop

1 English first: Read, look or listen once without translating.
2 Understand: Find the key message and two useful words.
3 Respond: Say or write one short answer.
4 Ask: Use a question if something is unclear.
5 Hint: Take only the help you need.
6 Improve: Fix one important point.
7 Use again: Try the same language in a new ad.

Media starter

Look at the picture for 20 seconds. Do not read every word.

Quick response:

Attention: What do you notice first?
Message: What is the main message?
Action: What should a viewer do next?

Useful frames: “I notice … first.” / “The ad is about …” / “The viewer should …”

Vorwissen

You already know many ads from everyday life. Work with a partner. Use examples from public places, TV, websites or fictional examples. Do not share private social-media data.

Think	Short answer
Where can ads appear?	“Ads can appear on …”
What can make an ad easy to remember?	“A … can make it memorable.”
Who is an ad for?	“The target audience may be …”

Five basic attention tools

Tool	Easy meaning	Example
slogan	a short phrase you can remember	“Move more. Feel good.”
image	a picture that creates interest or a feeling	a cold drink on a hot day
discount	a lower price for a limited time	“20% off this week”
celebrity-style endorsement	a popular or famous-person style figure recommends a product	“Kai Rivers says: I use it every day.” Kai Rivers is fictional.
call to action	words that tell you what to do next	“Try it today!”

A technique can attract attention, but it does not prove that a product is good or that a claim is true.

Focus: discount

A discount uses price information to make an offer look attractive. Look at this real-world example from Wikimedia Commons.

Say it: “The discount is easy to see because …”

Focus: call to action

A call to action tells the audience what to do next. Common examples are “Try it”, “Shop now”, “Learn more” or “Join today”. In online advertising, call-to-action buttons can direct viewers to a next step. Keep your analysis simple: What is the action?

Listening and Viewing

Watch first for the main idea. You do not need every detail.

First viewing

Main idea: Choose one: The video is mainly about online advertising / sports / music.
Key words: Write down two words you understand.
Response: Finish the sentence: “One thing ads can do is …”

Second viewing with a focus

Watch again. Listen for ideas about how online ads reach people. Pause when needed.

Ask if needed: “Can we watch that part again?” / “What does … mean here?”

Viewing extension: endorsement and influencers

Watch only a short teacher-selected part first, for example the opening 1–2 minutes. The full video is longer and may contain harder language.

Viewing question: Why might a company use a popular online creator in an ad? Give one possible reason. Do not copy private creator data into your task.

Mini listening: a fictional ad

First listen: A teacher or partner reads the script at a moderate, clear speed. Listen without the transcript.

Task: Tick the ideas you hear: a new bottle / a discount / a famous real person / a call to action.

Transcript — open only after your first listening attempt.

Speaker 1: “Hot day? Meet the FreshStep bottle. It keeps your drink cool and it is easy to carry.”
Speaker 2: “This week, students get 20% off. Maya Stone, the fictional school sports star, says: ‘It is always in my bag.’ Try FreshStep today.”

Check: The product is a bottle. The ad uses a discount, a fictional endorsement and a call to action.

Reading: four fictional ads

Read for the main message. No word-by-word translation.

Ad	Text	Your focus
A: FreshStep	“Cool all day. 20% off this week. Try it today!”	Find the slogan, discount and call to action.
B: StudySpark	“Plan less. Learn more. Open your free weekly planner.”	Find the slogan and call to action.
C: CityRide	“Ready for the weekend? One ticket, all day. Your city is waiting.”	What image would fit this text? Who may be the target audience?
D: Nova Shoes	“Fictional dance star Leni Vale wears Nova Shoes. Move your way.”	Find the celebrity-style endorsement and slogan.

Reading strategy

Read in this order: product → promise → attention tool → target audience → action. If you do not know one word, keep going unless that word blocks the main idea.

Context vocabulary

Word	Simple English	Useful chunk
ad / advertisement	a message that promotes something	“This ad shows …”
slogan	a short memorable phrase	“The slogan is …”
image	a picture	“The image shows …”
discount	a lower price	“The ad offers a discount.”
endorsement	support from a person	“The ad uses an endorsement.”
target audience	the people an ad wants to reach	“The target audience may be …”
call to action	words telling you what to do	“The call to action is …”
promise	what the ad says it can give you	“The ad promises …”
notice	see or become aware of	“I notice … first.”
persuade	try to make someone think or do something	“The ad tries to persuade …”

Pronunciation and fluency

Aim for clear speech, not accent-free speech.

Chunk the sentence: “The ad / uses a discount / to get attention.”
Stress key words: “The SLOGAN is short.” “The DISCOUNT is clear.”
Pause before your reason: “I think it targets teenagers / because the image looks sporty.”

Partner check: Could your partner understand the main point on the first try?

Speaking

Choose one fictional ad from the reading section. Speak for about 30–45 seconds.

Plan: “This ad is for … It uses … I notice … first. I think the target audience is … because … The call to action is …”

Then react to a partner:

Reagieren: “I agree because …” or “I am not sure because …”
Nachfragen: “Why do you think that?” or “Which part gets your attention?”
Verbessern: Add one reason after feedback.

Recording note: Audio or video recordings are voluntary. Keep them private unless your teacher has clearly agreed on a safe class process. Do not upload recordings without permission.

Writing

Write a short email of about 70–90 words to a fictional school media team.

Task: Explain which of the four fictional ads gets attention best for one target audience. Give two reasons and one suggestion for improvement.

Structure: greeting → your choice → two reasons → one suggestion → closing.

Sentence help: “I think Ad … works for … because …” / “The image or slogan …” / “One change could be …”

Keep your own first draft. If you use digital feedback or AI feedback, check every suggestion before you change your text. Do not paste private data into external services.

Mediation

A German school poster says: “Schulfest am Freitag. Getränke heute 25% günstiger. Komm vorbei und bring deine Freunde mit.”

A new exchange student asks what it means. Explain the important information in simple English. Do not translate every word.

Help: “It is about …” / “The event is on …” / “There is a … discount.” / “They want you to …”

Functional grammar

Communication comes first. Focus on only three useful accuracy points.

Use	Form	Example
tell people what to do	imperative	“Try it today.”
give a reason	because	“It gets attention because the slogan is short.”
show a contrast	but	“The image is strong, but the message is not clear.”

Quick fix: “The ad use a discount.” → “The ad uses a discount.”
Quick fix: “Because the image is bright.” → Add a main idea: “I notice it first because the image is bright.”

Help ladder

Level 1 — keywords: slogan, image, discount, endorsement, action, audience.
Level 2 — sentence frames: “The ad uses …” / “It targets … because …”
Level 3 — independent: Explain the effect in your own words and add one limitation, for example: “It gets attention, but it does not prove the product is good.”

Use the lowest help level that lets you continue.

Feedback and error analysis

Give short, useful feedback.

Check	Feedback
Message	“I understand your main point.”
Reason	“Your reason is clear / needs one example.”
Key language	Check only: uses, because, but, clear call to action.
Next step	“Improve one sentence, then use it again.”

Error hunt:

Grammar: Find and fix one verb error in “The ad use a bright image.”
Reason: Improve “It is good.” Add a reason with “because”.
Precision: Replace “thing” in “The ad uses a thing to tell you to buy” with a useful course word.

Transfer: ad detective

Choose one advertisement you can see in a public or school-safe context. You may also invent one.

Answer in English:

Technique: Which attention tool can you spot?
Audience: Who may be the target audience?
Evidence: Which word or image supports your idea?
Check: Is a claim presented as a fact? If yes, where could you verify it?

Do not collect private profiles, usernames, messages or personal social-media data. Do not use cultural stereotypes as evidence. If you use AI or online sources, check facts and sources. Keep your own notes and drafts.

Can-do check

I can ...	Yes	Almost	Not yet
spot five basic attention tools	□	□	□
get the main message without full translation	□	□	□
name a possible target audience and give a reason	□	□	□
ask a follow-up question in English	□	□	□
improve one sentence after feedback	□	□	□
create a short fictional ad safely	□	□	□

Next course

Continue with E9 G - Creating a short ad. There you can use the same five tools to design, present and improve your own short fictional advertisement.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What is a slogan? (A short memorable phrase) (!A famous person) (!A price list) (!A long report)

Which phrase is a call to action? (Try it today) (!Blue and green) (!Twenty students) (!A large picture)

What does a discount change? (The price) (!The speaker) (!The target audience) (!The product name)

What is the target audience? (The people an ad wants to reach) (!The place where an ad is printed) (!The cost of the product) (!The music in the ad)

Which example is a celebrity-style endorsement? (A popular fictional sports star recommends the product) (!The price is 20 percent lower) (!The ad uses a large photo) (!The slogan has four words)

What should you do first with a difficult short ad? (Look for the main message) (!Translate every word) (!Memorise the whole text) (!Ignore the image)

Which sentence gives a reason? (The ad gets attention because the image is bright) (!The ad is blue) (!Try it today) (!What is the price)

Which sentence shows a contrast? (The image is strong but the message is unclear) (!The image is strong because it is bright) (!The image is strong) (!Look at the image)

Which action is safest for a class task? (Use a fictional profile) (!Share a private username) (!Upload a classmate recording without asking) (!Copy private messages into an AI tool)

What does an attention technique prove? (It can help attract attention but does not prove product quality) (!It proves every claim is true) (!It proves the product is the best) (!It proves everyone will buy the product)

Memory

slogan	short memorable phrase
discount	lower price
image	visual element
endorsement	person recommends a product
audience	people an ad wants to reach
action	what the viewer should do next

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Slogan	Move more Feel good
Discount	Twenty percent off this week
Image	A cold bottle on a hot day
Endorsement	A fictional sports star recommends the bottle
Call to action	Try it today

Kreuzworträtsel

Slogan	What do you call a short memorable advertising phrase?
Discount	What word means a lower price for a special time?
Endorsement	What is the word for support or recommendation by a person in an ad?
Audience	What word names the group an ad wants to reach?
Image	What word means the picture or visual part of an ad?
Action	Complete the term call to ...

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Slogan: Write three short slogans for fictional school-safe products. Keep each slogan under seven words.
Bildanalyse: Choose one Commons image in this course and write three simple English sentences about what gets your attention.
Call to Action: Turn five neutral phrases into clear calls to action, for example from “our club” to “Join our club today”.
Zielgruppe: Match four fictional ads to possible target audiences and give one short reason for each.

Standard

Werbeanalyse: Analyse one fictional ad with the pattern product → promise → technique → audience → action.
Kurzpräsentation: Give a 45-second presentation about one ad and answer one follow-up question.
E-Mail: Write a 70–90 word email to a fictional school media team with two reasons and one improvement idea.
Mediation: Explain a short German school promotion orally in simple English without translating every word.

Schwer

Werbevergleich: Compare two fictional ads for the same product. Explain how their slogans, images or calls to action target different audiences.
Storyboard: Create a six-frame storyboard for a fictional 20-second ad. Add one slogan, one visual idea and one call to action.
Medienkritik: Find one public advertisement and separate observable facts from advertising claims. Verify one claim with a reliable source.
Überarbeitung: Create a first draft of a fictional ad, get peer feedback, keep the first version and document three careful improvements.

Lernkontrolle

Transferanalyse: You see an unfamiliar ad with a bright image and the words “Only today”. Explain which tool may be used, what effect it may have and what you still cannot know from the ad alone.
Zielgruppenvergleich: Two ads sell the same reusable bottle. One shows a sports scene, the other a calm study desk. Explain how the possible target audiences and messages may differ.
Begründete Meinung: Choose one fictional ad from this course. Explain whether its message is clear for its target audience and support your view with two details.
Mediation im Kontext: A German school club offers “2 für 1” tickets for a school event. Explain the offer and the next step to an English-speaking exchange student.
Fehlerverbesserung: Improve a weak analysis that only says “The ad is good.” Add a technique, evidence and a reason.
Quellencheck: An ad says “Everyone learns twice as fast.” Describe two steps you would take before treating this as a fact.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should show that you can:

Hauptaussage: understand the main message of a short ad without full translation.
Werbemittel: identify slogan, image, discount, endorsement and call to action.
Zielgruppe: name a possible target audience and support the idea with evidence.
Kommunikation: react, ask a question and give a short reason in English.
Schreiben: create a clear short text with simple structure and useful linking words.
Überarbeitung: improve your own work after feedback while keeping your first draft.
Medienkompetenz: separate an attention technique from proof and check claims or AI feedback when needed.

OERs zum Thema

Freie Medien im Kurs: Die eingebetteten Bilder stammen aus Wikimedia Commons. Prüfe auf der jeweiligen Dateiseite Lizenz und Namensnennung. Die Videos werden als externe Lernmedien eingebettet und sollen aktiv mit den angegebenen Sehaufträgen genutzt werden.

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