Mad for Ads by Erica Fyvie

Mad for Ads opens the eyes of readers to the countless ways they are data-mined and targeted for advertising.

Mad for Ads: How Advertising Gets (and Stays) in Our Heads by Erica Fyvie, illustrated by Ian Turner. Kids Can Press, 2021, 59 pages plus glossary, bibliography, and index.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-13

“I never pay attention to advertising.”

Oh, really? This book may change your mind about that. Most grownups are aware of how online retail and social media track your every move in order to target you for advertising. But our kids aren’t necessarily ad-savvy. And even grownups may not realize that (according to this author, anyway) the average American receives approximately 3000 ad messages per day. These messages don’t have to be verbal; sometimes they are encoded in product placement at the grocery store. And kids are definitely a target. Even though they don’t have a disposable income, they are carefully curated for their “badger power.”

To show how advertising is shaped, branded, timed, and targeted, the author proposes one imaginary product (bubble gum) and one imaginary service (E-waste recycling) and follows an imaginary ad campaign for each. The final section on self-branding is about how we advertise ourselves. The layout of the book is itself an “ad” for attention, with bright colors, simple shapes, arrows, and banners. Mad for Ads won’t make a reader ad-proof, but it should make both grownups and kids think about how our attention is up for grabs. For Christians, it’s a reminder that we need to be purposeful about paying attention to God.

Overall Rating:  3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader

• Review: Where do consumer goods come from? Follow Your Stuff tracks the global origin of everyday objects. Follow the links at the end of the review for helpful books about money: making, spending, and managing.
• Review: Tech awareness! See our reviews of The Tech-Wise Family and 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You.

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