Critical Reasoning

If the ad agency that created the television ad for Tough-As-Nails Tools had thoroughly researched customer demographics, then they would have realized that the majority of frequent tool users are men. Yet the ad was shown during a cooking program targeted to women. However, if the advertisers had not researched customer demographics, then the ad would not have incorporated images depicting the use of tools in home improvement projects as an activity that men enjoy. Yet the ad did so. Therefore the ad agency made some sort of mistake: either the agency did not understand the demographics of the cooking program's audience or the ad was intended to be shown during a different program.

Which one of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

(A) The purchasers of products given as gifts are not the ultimate users of those products.
(B) Many women, including those who watch cooking programs, occasionally use tools for home improvement projects.
(C) The ad agency had never previously aired an ad during a program other than the one intended.
(D) Some men, including some who use tools frequently, occasionally watch cooking programs.
(E) The ad agency has a reputation for conducting high quality demographic research.

[spoiler]why not b?[/spoiler]

IMO D..whats the OA?

The argument that they are making here is that the ad agency must have made a mistake because there is no reason to show a commercial for a product aimed at men on a TV show that is primarily watched by women.

In order to weaken this you have to provide evidence for why they would show the commercial on a show watched by women.

A. Correct. This tells you that people buy items as gifts and are not the actual user of the product. Now you have a reason why they would show the commercial to women. Women will see the commercial with the home improvement projects for men and buy the tools as a gift for a man, who the product is geared towards.

B. Incorrect. Just because many women might use the product does not change the fact that the ad is geared towards men. If they understood the shows demographic then they would have made an ad doing home improvement jobs with women.

C. Incorrect. What they did in the past has no bearing on what might be done in the present.

D. Incorrect. Some men watching the program does not change the fact that the show is predominately watched by women.

E. Incorrect. What they have done in the past has no bearing on what they are doing now.

+1 for A
What's the OA?