Denise M. Massari
Teaching this unit will not necessarily change students' consumption habits, but they can at least now ask the questions: "Why do I identify or not identify with this product? Is it because it (product) speaks to me as a person or group I belong to or is it speaking to someone else and I don't understand it? If it does speak to someone else, does that mean I can't appreciate it enough to become a consumer of it?" I truly believe that exploring the various multicultural / ethnic marketing strategies of the Taco Bell commercials will "get kids thinking". Once students begin to identify the cultural elements and make connections between the consumption of the product and the ad, they can remove themselves from the targeted population and become critics of advertisements they see.
The culminating project creating their own advertisement in either print or media using the marketing tactics studied will give us adults insight into how our students view the world and which cultural elements they value. This conversation alone will open up dialogue between generations, classes and races and is one I will most assuredly keep in mind for the next time I teach the unit. I do realize that these particular Taco Bell advertisements will run the risk of obsolescence and irrelevance, but as an educator, it is my duty to find current examples to replicate the unit. My goal is not to completely transform my students, but to make them more informed and self-directed consumers of society.
