Welcome back to a new year. Hope you had a great holiday. An assignment I found fun to teach and fun for the students was to have them create a product and prepare a commercial about that product. It is a great assignment because is allows the students to use their imaginations. This can be a one- or two-person assignment.
If you copy the following and paste it into a Word document, then you’ll have a readymade handout!
The Assignment
Students are to prepare a 3-5 minute commercial that includes the presentation of the product, an explanation of the product, and an attempt to sell it using the following points. It must be appropriate for a school setting.
Creating a Product
-There must be a need for the product.
-The audience should benefit from purchasing your product.
-The audience must be able to afford your product.
Presenting the Commercial
-Believe in your product. To sell a product to an audience, you must be sold on the product yourself. If you think it's great, it is easier to convince your listeners.
-Tell your audience why they need your product. How will buying your product help them? What can the product do for them? Why will life be better for them if they purchase it? For example, will the water jet cut down on their tooth cavities? Can they get the fruitcake to Granny before Christmas? Will the safety features of your product really protect them?
-Know your product. How does it work? What is it made of? Know the available colors and the cost. Does it have any special features? Is it better than similar products already on the market? Is there a guarantee? Can it be repaired?
-Demonstrate your product. Show how it works. Show the results. Pass around a sample if possible.
-Make it easy to buy. State the price of your product. Tell where it can be purchased. Is there a down payment? Can they get a discount on a trade-in? Is there a rebate? Is this a limited special or will the buyer receive a free gift with purchase? Can they buy it right now? Can they give you an order?
-Close the commercial with a catchy ending. Do or say something relevant to the product that the audience will remember. For example, a surprise ending to the commercial or a jingle that is sung.
-Music can set the mood. You may wish to use background music or a song to set the mood for the commercial.
Writing the Script
Writing the script for the commercial will not be difficult if you follow the simple steps listed below. Again, use your imagination!
-First, write a plot outline. This will tell what is to happen in the commercial and in what order.
-Is this commercial humorous or serious? This will determine the characters and the dialogue.
-Decide who will sell the product. Will it be one person or two? Give the characters’ names if possible. What are these people like? What will the actor have to know about the character in order to play him accurately?
-Decide whether the setting is important. If so, describe it. What will need to be made or brought from home to create the setting?
-Start writing at the beginning – not in the middle or the end!
-Begin writing the dialogue (two or more people) or monologue (one person). Try to make the words fit the character. For example, an actor who is wearing dirty overalls, a straw hat, and chewing on a grass stem would probably not say, "I'm here to render my opinion as to the effects of gamma rays on the protein nucleus of the particulate ZX1." A man in a pinstriped suit with a briefcase in his hand would probably not look up from the Wall Street Journal and say, "Far out! What's happenin'? Put ’er there, brother!" Cover all of the needed information listed above.
-Write out all of the stage directions completely. Where is/are the actor(s) supposed to move? When? What do they do when demonstrating the product?
Remember, use your creative abilities! Be as funny or as serious as you wish, just sell us your product. | 
