Alcohol Advertising Online Lesson Plan

Alcohol Marketing
Digital Health
Internet & Mobile
Marketing & Consumerism
Online Marketing

Level(s): Grades 9 to 12

Author: MediaSmarts

Duration: 1-2 hours

Production of this lesson has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE: A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

Overview

In this lesson, students their personal experiences with alcohol influencers and then analyze some examples of paid and unpaid influencer posts featuring alcohol. They learn about the CRTC Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages to understand current Canadian regulations and then explore the ethical and regulatory issues around regulating alcohol promotion in social media.

Learning Outcomes

Key concepts/big ideas: Students will understand…

  • Media are constructions: Influencer posts about alcohol do not reflect the influencers’ real lives, but are constructed texts made for specific goals
  • Media have commercial considerations: Influencers share alcohol content for commercial reasons that include both paid advertising and self-branding
  • Interactions through digital media have a real impact: The relationship we feel we have with influencers affects how we respond to their posts
  • Digital media experiences are shaped by the tools we use: Features like “Buy Now” buttons can make it easier for posts about alcohol to convince young people to drink

Framework topics: Students will learn…

  • Reading media: How influencers use imagery to communicate a personal brand
  • Consumer awareness: Different reasons why influencers post about alcohol; guidelines of the CRTC code for alcohol advertising in broadcasting
  • Media health: How influencer advertising influencers what we think about alcohol

Core competencies: Students will be able to…

  • Understand: Critically evaluate influencer posts about alcohol; demonstrate intellectual humility
  • Engage: Consider the impact of influencer advertising on society and develop appropriate responses

Student-facing outcomes: We will think about what influencers say about alcohol and how that affects us. We will learn rules for alcohol advertising in broadcast media like TV. We will explore whether and how alcohol content on social media should be restricted.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) is available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit