Download Greek Mythology Advertising Project

Greek Myths in Advertising – Group Project
References to Greek myths are prevalent in our society and around the world. One
place that they are often referenced is advertising. Companies use the public’s
knowledge of Greek mythology and the associations they have with it to sell their
products. Today, you will be looking at the advertising on the internet and exploring
the references they contain to Greek mythology. You will also be creating your own ad
for a product you create relating to a Greek god or goddess.
Part One: EXPLORING ADVERTISING
Our culture is filled with references to Greek mythology. Companies use our associations with certain gods
and goddess to help sell their products. For example, let’s go to www.nike.com. Nike is the goddess of
victory. She is often pictured as winged and carrying a wreath or palm of victory. (Her Roman name is
Victoria.) The company Nike is suggesting that people who buy their shoes will fly faster around the track
and be winners.
Go to each of the following websites and look for the connection between the product being advertised
and its reference to Greek mythology. For each of the following products, answer these questions in
complete sentences.
Create a Google Slides presentation with a separate slide for each of the websites. Answer the following for
each:
A. What is the product being sold, the service being offered, or the idea being represented?
B. Who or what reference is used? Briefly describe the god, goddess, character or event. (If you are
having difficulty, refer to Table One to determine the mythological reference.)
C. What connotation (the emotional associations of words) do they want the consumer to associate
with their product? Explain why the advertiser has chosen to use that particular reference to
mythology to sell their product, services, or idea.
NOTE: You will need to divide this work between you. Each group member should be responsible for at
least two websites, and his or her name should appear on those slides.
WEBSITES
1. http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml
5. http://www.tridentdive.com/
2. http://www.ftdfloristsonline.com/
6. http://www.atlasworldgroup.com/
3.http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_over
view.asp?ModelName=Odyssey
7. http://www.athenian.org/
8. http://www.nbc.com/
4. http://midas.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Lesson plan adapted from Mr. J. Kwiatkowski
Greek Myths in Advertising – Group Project
Part Two: CREATING AN ADVERTISEMENT
1. Design your own advertisement for a make-believe product based on one of the Greek gods or
goddesses in Table Two.
2. Your company's product must have some reference or association to the mythological figure you have
selected.
3. Your advertisement should contain the following: a visual image, the product’s name, and a slogan.
Additional creative content is encouraged.
4. You will also need to write a paragraph explanation. Your explanation should include background on the
god or goddess, why he or she was important to Greek culture, and how your image and slogan relate to
your particular god or goddess. It should also discuss what particular connotation you want consumers to
associate with your product.
NOTE: You will need to divide this work between you. Please put a list on the presentation to show me
which partners did which parts of this advertisement.
EXAMPLE:
DEMETER is the goddess of grains, crops and
agriculture. Without her aid, farmers were unable
to produce healthy crops.
Agriculture was extremely important to the
Ancient Greeks, because it provided their primary
source of food in most areas.
I have chosen Demeter’s symbol, the sheaf of
wheat, to promote my natural food company
where all products are organically grown.
I am trying to use Demeter's association with the
earth to advertise the natural goodness of the
foods I sell.
Product Design: Jasmine Garcia
Slogan: Joey Hornet
Background on Demeter: Jenny Kozowski
Relation to our product: Joey Hornet
Lesson plan adapted from Mr. J. Kwiatkowski
Greek Myths in Advertising – Group Project
Part Three: RUBRIC
_____ / 25
At least one image per slide, thoughtful answers, and complete sentences used to
complete Part One
_____ / 25
Created ad with a visual image, a product’s name, and a slogan (all of which
make reference to your specific god or goddess)
_____ / 25
A well-thought-out paragraph explains how the image, product’s name, and slogan
relate to the god or goddess, why that god or goddess was important to Ancient Greek
culture, and what connotations that you want consumers to associate with your product
Total: _____/ 75
Lesson plan adapted from Mr. J. Kwiatkowski
TABLE ONE
Greek Myths in Advertising – Group Project
Mythological
Figure or
Concept
Story or Role in Greek or Roman Mythology
ZEUS
(JUPITER)
ZEUS was the most powerful ruler of all the gods and lived on top of Mount Olympus. He is often
associated with the lightening bolts that he hurled through the sky when he lost his temper. The eagle, a
symbol of power, has often been used to represent Zeus.
HERA (JUNO)
HERA was Zeus' jealous and proud wife. A symbol often associated with her is the proud peacock with
many colors.
POSEIDON
(NEPTUNE)
POSEIDON, brother to Zeus, was another strong and powerful god who ruled the seas. His moods
changed as often as the ocean tides. A symbol often associated with Poseidon is a three pronged fork
called a trident.
ARES (MARS)
ARES , son of Zeus and Hera, was the god of war and an instigator of fights. He personified the bloody
and brutal battle. He was very unpopular among the Greeks.
APHRODITE APHRODITE, the beautiful goddess of love, was born from the sea.
(VENUS)
ATHENA
ATHENA , the goddess of wisdom, was believed to have been born from Zeus's forehead. She was also
(MINERVA) the defender of the just cause.
ARTEMIS
ARTEMIS was one of the principal goddesses of Greek mythology. She was the twin sister of the god,
Apollo, and she was the goddess of the moon. She was the chief hunter to the gods . Artemis was also a
lifelong virgin and the protector of young women.
SIRENS, in Greek mythology, were sea nymphs with the bodies of birds and the heads of women. They
THE SIRENS had voices of such sweetness, mariners who heard their songs were lured to their deaths when they
jumped from cliffs onto the rocks where the nymphs sang.
HERMES
HERMES, messenger of the gods, was the son of Zeus. As the special servant and courier of Zeus,
Hermes had winged sandals and a winged hat and bore a golden Caduceus, or magic wand. He was also
the god of commerce, and the protector of traders and herds.
CUPID
CUPID, son of Aphrodite, was depicted as a winged youth. Sometimes he carried a flower, but more
commonly the bow and arrows, with which he shot darts of desire into the bosoms of gods and men.
ATLAS
ATLAS fought in the war against the Olympic gods. As punishment, he was condemned to bear forever
on his back the earth and the heavens, and on his shoulders, the great pillar that separates them.
KING MIDAS was a king in Greek mythology that was granted one wish. He wished that everything he
touched turned to gold. At first, he was overjoyed at the thought of being the richest man in the
KING MIDAS universe. However, he soon realized that his wish had negative consequences, for his food and water
turned to gold. In some versions of this story his daughter dies when he touches her, and she is
transformed into a gold statute
The famous Greek hero, Odysseus, spent ten years after the Trojan War attempting to make his way
THE ODYSSEY back home. His journey was an exciting adventure filled with trials and tests. The name of the book that
tells his story is called The Odyssey.
Lesson plan adapted from Mr. J. Kwiatkowski
Greek Myths in Advertising – Group Project
TABLE TWO_
APOLLO
HEPHAESTUS
IRIS
AEOLUS
HESTIA
APOLLO, son of Zeus, was the god of the sun. He was also the
god of poetry, music and song. Apollo was a gifted musician, who
delighted the gods with his performance on the lyre. Apollo was
the special protector of young men.
HEPHAESTUS, in Greek mythology, was the god of fire and
metalwork. As the artisan of the gods, Hephaestus made their
armor, weapons, and jewelry.
IRIS, in Greek mythology, is the goddess of the rainbow. Iris left
Olympus only to convey the divine commands to humankind, by
whom she was regarded as an adviser and guide. Traveling with
the speed of the wind, she could go from one end of the earth to
the other, and to the bottom of the sea or to the depths of the
underworld. She was represented as a beautiful maiden, with
wings and robes of bright colors and a halo of light on her head,
trailing across the sky with a rainbow in her wake.
AEOLUS, in Greek mythology, was the keeper of the winds. The
god Zeus had given him the power to still and arouse the winds.
When the Greek hero, Odysseus, visited Aeolus, he was
welcomed as an honored guest. As a parting gift, Aeolus gave him
a favoring wind and a leather bag filled with all the winds.
HESTIA, goddess of the hearth, was the eldest daughter of the
Titans. Hestia was the peacemaker in the sometimes tumultuous
world of the gods. She was believed to preside at all sacrificial
altar fires. Prayers were offered to her before and after meals,
and most cities had a common hearth where her sacred fire
burned.
Lesson plan adapted from Mr. J. Kwiatkowski