This ad is made up, but every trick in it is real. Read it like an investigator.
Maya sees an ad between videos. A smiling teen holds up a bottle of Brand X Gummies. “Two gummies a day and your grades jump in one week! 97% of users say they feel smarter!” The small print says 30 people were asked, and each got a free bottle first. A man in a white coat calls the formula “clinically proven,” but names no study. A timer counts down: “Only 40 bottles left. The price doubles at midnight!” Every review comes from the brand’s own website. A month’s supply costs $39. Maya’s exams start in three weeks, and she is tempted.
1List the red flags you can find. There are at least five.
2Who gains if Maya believes this ad? How might that shape what it says?
3What evidence would you need to see before you believed the claim?
Should Maya buy the gummies? What would you tell her?
Why it matters: Teens see thousands of ads a week. Naming the tricks out loud makes them weaker, and protects money, time and health.
Extend it: Each pick one real ad this week and count its red flags. Compare notes.