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Nicofiends activity

What’s Missing?

An ad detective activity where young people look at real adverts and spot what is being shown, what feeling is being sold and what information has been left out.

What it explores

This activity helps children and young people look more closely at adverts, packaging and promotional messages. It asks them to notice what grabs their attention first, what feeling is being sold and what information is missing.
Time
20 to 30 mins
Age
Ages 11 to 16
Setting
Classroom, Youth group, Community setting, At home
Group size
Individual, pairs or small groups

Activity at a glance

Best for

Marketing, missing information, critical thinking and media literacy.

You’ll need

Printed advert cards, Ad Detective sheets, pens or pencils. You can use the supplied advert pack, or choose your own source-labelled examples.

Key message

Adverts do not always give you the full picture.

How to run it

  • Give each person, pair or small group one advert card and one Ad Detective sheet.
  • Ask them to look at the advert for 30 seconds without writing anything down.
  • Then ask them to write what they noticed first. This might be the colour, slogan, person, image, product, packaging, price, mood or style.
  • Next, ask them to decide what feeling the advert is trying to sell. It might be confidence, freedom, fitting in, looking older, being popular, feeling calm, looking healthy or missing out if they say no.
  • Ask them to look again and spot what information is missing. For example, the advert might not explain health risks, cost, who benefits, what is inside the product, whether a claim is proven, or why the advert is trying to get their attention.
  • Ask each group to write one question they would ask before trusting the advert.
  • Invite groups to share what they noticed. Remind them that there may be more than one right answer.
  • Finish by linking the activity back to smoking, vaping and nicotine. Explain that marketing often shows the most appealing part of a product, but leaves out the less attractive or risky parts.

Discussion prompts

  • What did you notice first?
  • What feeling was the advert trying to sell?
  • Who do you think the advert is trying to reach?
  • What information was missing?
  • What did the advert make look normal, exciting, harmless or popular?
  • What question would you ask before trusting it?

Reflection

This activity helps young people see that adverts are designed to influence how people feel and act. It encourages them to pause, look again and ask what has been left out.

Download printable materials

Link To Smoking, Vaping or Nicotine

What’s Missing? links to the way smoking, vaping and nicotine products can be promoted through image, design, flavour, lifestyle, confidence, freedom, popularity or the idea that everyone is using them.

The activity uses real adverts and promotional examples to help young people spot marketing tricks. It encourages them to ask better questions before trusting a message, especially when a product is made to look exciting, harmless, stylish or normal.

Adapting the activity

Make it Easier

Work through one advert together first. Ask the group to spot the colour, slogan, image and feeling before completing their own sheet.

Make it Harder

Compare two adverts and ask young people to decide which one is more persuasive. They should explain what tricks are being used and what is missing from each one.

 

Safety Note

Use source-labelled advert examples for education and discussion. Keep the focus on marketing tricks, pressure and missing information. Do not ask young people to share personal or family experiences of smoking, vaping or nicotine. Avoid sending young people to live brand pages. Follow your setting’s safeguarding process if a young person raises a concern.

 

Ready to Run The Acitvity

Download the activity PDF or go back to the resource hub to find another activity.

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