Persuasive Features in Adverts Task

A two-part KS2 English activity on persuasive techniques in adverts, for Y4–Y6. Spot the six persuasion levers. Active learning throughout.

Pupils first match six emotional reactions from Fred (a cartoon child targeted by a football advert) to the specific parts of the advert triggering them. This builds intuitive understanding of how adverts are designed to manipulate feelings before the vocabulary is introduced. On the reverse, they apply their new knowledge by highlighting examples of all six levers across four further adverts: a snack brand, a trainer brand, a music streaming app, and an eco water bottle.

The six levers covered are: social proof, endorsement, appeal to identity, scarcity/urgency, sweeteners, and selling the dream. Each is distinct enough to generate genuine discussion, and the range of advert contexts keeps the activity feeling fresh across both pages.

Works as a standalone activity in a guided reading or English lesson, and fits naturally into a persuasive writing unit. Links directly to financial education through critical consumer awareness.

This activity is one of hundreds of resources on the Tykeoons primary financial education platform. Start your school’s FREE pilot.

This activity is taken from the full Tykeoons lesson on persuasion in adverts, which is also available to download free on TES.

This resource contains:

• Page 1: PowerStrike advert with six numbered sections, and Fred’s six emotional reactions to match to them (print double-sided, one per pair)
• Page 2: Four example adverts for pupils to highlight all six persuasion levers