Made You Look is a very interesting book geared towards kids about advertising and how it works, but I think that any consumer (or any person) can benefit from reading it to find out just how the companies go about getting you to want to buy things. In addition to how advertising works now (TV, Internet, etc) it also talks about the history of advertising – which has been around for a long., long time. Much longer than I would have expected but I guess that just goes to show how oblivious I am to the fact that ads are all around us!
I also found it interesting how the wording that they use can make things sound SO different even though it essentially means the same thing – for example “4 out of 5 dentists recommend” essentially is the same as “1 out of 5 hates this” but one makes it sound awesome and the other not so awesome when they are basically saying the same thing. Also another trick that they mentioned was saying that “nothing is better than our item” when in fact, when tested, all the items were equally as effective. So, while technically, none of them WERE better – they were all the same but the wording makes it seem like their product is the best of all the competitors. Sneaky, sneaky!
I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.About the Book
The kids’ survival guide to advertising, revised and updated for the digital age.
Ads are everywhere these days: they are trying to be your friend on Facebook, popping up in the background of your video game, and even in the neon signs you see when you walk by a store.
For ten years, Made You Look has been an essential self-defense kit for anyone trying to make sense of the complex world of advertising. Now fully revised and with a fresh new look, the book has been updated to reflect the modern ad landscape, from digital tracking and cookies to social media, viral videos, and reality television. From the earliest roots of advertising to the undercover marketers of the 21st century, this revealing book shows kids where ads come from, how they work, and why it matters.