Learning strategies have received a lot of attention in recent years. Many books have been written for both teachers and students, outlining strategies of and for the successful language learner. The research in this area confirms that the conscious use of learning strategies enhances language achievement and proficiency. A well-developed strategy in itself, however, is not necessarily a recipe for success. If taught in a top-down approach, the learners might or might not see its value for their own learning situation. If the reason for using strategies is to help students to become more effective and autonomous learners, they need to be included in the strategy building process. This paper shows how the study of television advertisements can increase students' awareness of cognitive and affective learning processes and thereby help them to build effective strategies for vocabulary learning. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)