Watery Deep Image

Level 2: Area 3

Watery Deep

Stake out claims and make rich discoveries.

Ads hold a treasure trove of information. Literally. After making it through the icy seas beneath the hockey rink, you find yourself in a sunken pirate ship filled with treasure. And what do you do when you find treasure? You stake a claim. In some ways, ads try to do the same thing. Ads make many “claims” about the products in them – saying they do this or contain that. Here, you’ll dig past these claims to get aducated.


Cleanology Magazine Ad

Claims try to convince you that a product is so special, you'll pick it instead of another one.

Image of a magazine ad featuring tubes, bottles, and jars of Cleanology skincare products, before-and-after customer photos and directions on how to order. Text includes, 'Save 50%' and 'Results May Vary.'
Image of a magazine ad featuring tubes, bottles, and jars of Cleanology skincare products, before-and-after customer photos and directions on how to order. Text includes, 'Save 50%' and 'Results May Vary.'

This ad makes many common types of claims.

Scientifically made
from secret Amazonian
ingredients. Dermatologist recommended. No face
wash works faster, and no
acne care kit soothes skin
better. Use the kit just
once a day and see
results. Guaranteed.

Challenge 1: Zaano Game Magazine Ad

Claims are what the advertiser says, how it works, and what it will do for you.

This ad makes many claims. Do you know if they're true? How do you know?

Image of a magazine ad featuring screen shots of a video game and the Celestia logo; text reads: 'Jungle Mysteries: Zaano's Quest TM.'
call out
Image of a magazine ad featuring screen shots of a video game and the Celestia logo; text reads: 'Jungle Mysteries: Zaano's Quest TM.'

Read each of the claims below and decide if it would be easy or hard to tell which are true.

The graphics are state-of-the-art

  • Easy
  • Hard
The correct answer is Hard.
State of what art? This could mean anything

The game breaks all the rules

  • Easy
  • Hard
The correct answer is Hard.
What rules? Are there rules that govern all games?

There are 10 levels

  • Easy
  • Hard
The correct answer is Easy.
Once you're in the game, you'll know how many levels there are
Correct!
Incorrect - see above for the right answer.

Challenge 2: NBT Clothing

Claims in ads are supposed to be true, and most advertisers work hard to keep it that way. But there is no government agency that checks ads before they appear.

Image of a girl in a white T-shirt and jeans, alongside text that reads: 'Made from 100% bamboo*,' 'Made from a renewable resource' and 'Doesn't hurt the environment.' At the bottom of the ad, in smaller print, there is text that reads, “*100% bamboo rayon, solvent processed.”
call out
Image of a girl in a white T-shirt and jeans, alongside text that reads: 'Made from 100% bamboo*,' 'Made from a renewable resource' and 'Doesn't hurt the environment.' At the bottom of the ad, in smaller print, there is text that reads, “*100% bamboo rayon, solvent processed.”

Some claims in this ad are not true. Can you tell which are true and which are false?

Made from 100% Bamboo

  • True
  • False
The correct answer is False.
Actually made of bamboo that has been processed with harsh chemicals

Made from a renewable resource

  • True
  • False
The correct answer is False.
Bamboo is a plant, which can be replanted. But the chemicals used aren’t

Doesn’t hurt the environment

  • True
  • False
The correct answer is False.
The chemicals used to make it are harmful to living things
Correct!
Incorrect - see above for the right answer.

Unless you know a lot about science or bamboo-ology, how could you know these things? It turns out, harsh chemicals, which are bad for the environment, are used to process bamboo for clothing and textiles. The Federal Trade Commission sued an advertiser for claims like these. Now that you know some claims aren’t true, proceed!