50498 Advertising Creative Strategies

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Public Communication
Credit points: 8 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 50497 Advertising Principles and Production

Handbook description

This subject advances knowledge and understanding of principles of strategic creativity in advertising practice. It develops the ability to analyse creative approaches and address the debate on 'award' vs. 'strategic' creativity. Students gain an understanding of advertising agency disciplines and their contribution to campaign planning, production and pitching. Topics include the significance of strategic planning in campaign development, conceptual and production issues involved in radio and TV advertising, the evaluation of advertising effectiveness, and the development and selling of an integrated advertising idea. Students engage in scriptwriting and the production of storyboards for broadcast media and develop their concepts through to finished form using current digital technologies taught within the subject.

Subject objectives/outcomes

At the completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:

Provide an overview of the changing nature of the advertising industry in Australia, showing its relationship to other communication industries, and the dynamics of change in a context of globalisation.
Develop an in-depth understanding of agency activities and personnel and their contribution to advertising strategies and production.
Analyse the various elements of strategic planning and the use of research to inform the development of an integrated advertising idea
Be familiar with the concept of building brands from a communication perspective
Acquire skills in scriptwriting and storyboarding for broadcast media through the design and production of an integrated advertising campaign for television and radio.
Further develop presentation skills that assist client acceptance of creative strategies.

Contribution to graduate profile

Students enlarge their understanding of the advertising industry and engage in creative production for radio and television as well as in print and Internet media, thereby critically assessing and coordinating information across a range of technological platforms. They are introduced to global issues in strategic advertising communication and to the evaluation of the effectiveness of creative advertising as a public communication practice.

Teaching and learning strategies

Students will form teams to closely replicate the disciplines and relationships that occur within an advertising agency in the development of a campaign involving broadcast media for a client pitch. Individual and team assessment items provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their contribution and commitment to delivering a team result for the briefed project.

There will be a series of weekly one-hour lectures on key topics, including industry guest lectures in areas of special interest plus weekly two-hour tutorials. The tutorials will include practical creative exercises, group work-in-progress sessions for the project and student debriefings of project elements for in-class feedback.

There will be four lab sessions in radio production during tutorial hours in Weeks 4, 5, 6 and 7 and students will have further independent booking access to the radio production facilities up to and including the 2-week break.

Content

Agencies in Australia as a component of communication industries; globalisation and agency changes; the rise of strategic planning as an agency function; changes to disciplines within agencies and their relationships with clients.

Strategic planning for advertising; understanding brand image; positioning and re-positioning in competitive image markets; understanding the integrated campaign; evaluation of campaign elements; broadcast media planning and buying; pre and post-testing for advertising effectiveness.

The use of TV and radio; media proliferation; advertising as intrusion; impact vs. salesmanship; use of humour and advertising as entertainment and the debate on 'award' vs. strategic advertising.

The creative brief; creative concepts for TV and radio; storyboards, scripts, mock-ups, layouts, talent selection, special effects, sound and other elements of production.

The pitch; presenting to win business; working as a team; developing and selling creative ideas; ethical issues and managing costs.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Integrated Campaign Strategy Report

Objectives	a, b, c, d
Value	40% (25% for individual class de-brief; 15% for group report)
Due	De-briefs in class from Week 5 as arranged with tutor. Report due in tutorial, Week 11
Task	In your 'agency' team, undertake a strategic review of a designated product or service (lecturer will advise) to produce a 1,500-word integrated campaign strategy in appropriate business report format. The associated creative brief and media schedule do not form part of the 1,500-word count.
Purpose	Enable students to understand the purpose of strategic planning in advertising; draw insights from product and audience research and use it with their increasing knowledge of the principles of advertising to inform and produce an idea-generating creative brief and media schedule for an integrated campaign in broadcast media.
Structure	The preparation and production of this report is a group assignment, undertaken in your 'agency' team. At minimum, this will involve each of you contributing an individual section for your chosen discipline and presenting a preliminary de-brief on the project's progress in class (to replicate a standard internal agency de-briefing session). However, the final report must be a cohesive 'agency' document which draws on the contributions from each discipline. You will therefore greatly benefit your 'agency's' result if you aid and assist in the contributions made by each other. Each student is advised to retain a copy of the group report that is handed in.
Assessment criteria	Conduct appropriate research into a product, its market and consumer interests Contribute to the agency result within a designated discipline Recommend strategies based on insights gained suitable for creative development Construct an idea-generating creative brief for an integrated advertising idea suitable for broadcast media Plan and schedule appropriate media for a linked broadcast campaign in TV and radio Use appropriate report style, clarity of expression, and suitable referencing Work effectively as a team.

Assessment item 2: Creative Executions in TV and Radio

Objectives	b, c, e
Value	30%
Due	Hand-in Week 11, present from Week 11 as arranged with tutor
Task	In your 'agency' team, develop a creative campaign idea to work across both media from your creative brief. Your recommendation should be in the form of written scripts for both TV and radio; a visual storyboard for a 30-second television commercial and a linked 30-second radio commercial (on tape or CD), using the technology taught in the subject.
Purpose	Enable students to develop creative executions from a creative brief requiring an integrated campaign idea to work across two forms of broadcast media.
Structure	Students will undertake this assessment in their 'agency' teams and attend four lab sessions in radio production during tutorial hours in Weeks 4, 5, 6, and 7. Students will have further independent booking access to the radio production facilities during the 2-week break. All submissions must be A4 hard copy bound with a completed cover sheet accompanied by a separate tape or CD of the radio commercial. (Each student must keep a separate copy of the work they intend to use in their agency presentation in Assignment 3).
Assessment criteria	Generate an integrated advertising idea suitable for the product, audience and the media Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of effective scripting for television and radio Translate an advertising idea from script form to a visual storyboard for television production Use software and technology to produce a linked 30-second radio commercial.

Assessment item 3: Agency Pitch

Objectives	b, c, f
Value	30%
Due	Present in tutorials from Week 11, as arranged with tutor.
Task	In your 'agency' team, prepare a 20-minute presentation to effectively sell your creative and media recommendation for an integrated broadcast campaign in TV and radio. This presentation should draw together the research, creative strategy and advertising principles informing the previously submitted creative work.
Purpose	Further develop students' understanding of their chosen discipline, their individual skills in presenting and selling creative work and working effectively as a team to pitch and win client business.
Structure	A 20-minute formal 'agency' team presentation in class, utilising information and materials produced for Assignments 1 and 2 and other presentation aids of your choice. Storyboards must be presented in a format suitable for viewing by the whole audience.
Assessment criteria	Pitch a cohesive strategy for an integrated advertising idea Present a linked television and radio campaign to a client Employ effective presentation skills and techniques Select and use appropriate equipment and/or props Individual student contribution to a cohesive 'agency' team team.

Minimum requirements

Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Attendance is particularly important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas. Students who attend fewer than ten classes are advised that their final work will not be assessed and that they are likely to fail the subject.

Recommended text(s)

Wells, W. Burnett, J. Moriarty, S. (2002) 6th Edition. Advertising Principles & Practice, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall

Indicative references

Aitchison, J (2002). How Asia Advertises. Singapore: J Wiley & Sons

Aitchison, J. (2001). Cutting Edge Commercials. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prenctice Hall

Arens, William F. Contemporary Advertising (2002). International 8th Edition. NY: Mcgraw-Hill

Baird, L., (1992). Guide To Radio Production. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Belch, G & Belch, M (2001). Advertising & Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Irwin McGraw-Hill: Boston

Bly, Robert W (1990) The Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells. Henry Holt & Company

Boddewyn, J. (1992). Global Perspectives On Advertising Self Regulation. Westport, Conn: Quorum

Leslie Butterfield (Editor) (1999). Excellence In Advertising: The IPA Guide To Best Practice. Butterworth-Heinemann

Duncan, Tom (2002) IMC: Using Advertising & Promotion to Build Brands. International Edition. NY: Mcgraw-Hill.

Felton, G. (1994). Advertising Concept and Copy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Gettins, Dominic. (2000). The Unwritten Rules Of Copywriting: How To Create Better Press, Poster, Radio And TV Advertising Kogan Page

Martin, D.N. (1989). Romancing the Brand; The Power Of Advertising & How To Use It. New York: AMACOM.

Michel, P. (1988). Advertising Agency – Client Relations: A Strategic Perspective. Beckenham, Kent: Croom Helm.

Moriarty, S. (2nd Ed) (1995). Creating & Delivering Winning Advertising & Marketing Presentations. NTC Business Books.

Mayeux, Peter ( 1994). Writing for the Electronic Media. WCB: McGraw-Hill

Ogilvy, D. (1995). Ogilvy on Advertising. NY: Random House.

Larry Percy, John Rossiter, Richard Elliott (Editor) (2001) Strategic Advertising Management. Oxford University Press

Pricken, Mario (2002). Creative Advertising: Ideas and Techniques From The World's Best Campaigns - Planning And Producing World Class Advertising Campaigns. London: Thames & Hudson

Robinson, Mark (2000) "The Sunday Times" 100 Greatest TV Ads. Harper Collins

Shoebridge, N. (1992). Great Australian Advertising Campaigns. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.

Stewart, C. (1995) Superbrands: An Insight Into 50 Of The World's Superbrands. Horsham, Sussex: Special Event Books.

Wernick, A. (1991). Promotional Culture: Advertising, Ideology & Symbolic Expression. London: Sage.

White, H. (1994). How to Produce Effective TV Commercials. Lincolnwood, Ill: NTC Business Books.

Additional Useful Resources:
Strategic Communication Management
OVID ABI-INFORM (online journals)
Harvard Business Review
Journal of Advertising
Journal of Advertising Research
Marketing News
Journal of Marketing
Advertising Age
Adweek (US)
Adnews (Australia)
B & T (Australia)
Useful Internet sites
absolut.com
acnielsen.com.au
adforum.com
adma.com.au
adnews.com.au
afa.org.au
ami.org.au
amsaccess.com.au/lec/promix.htm (promotions mix)
appa.com.au (promotional products)
awardonline.comcrc.nsw.gov.au (community relations)
bandt.com.au
boss.afr.com
brandchannel.com
iaa.org
iconoculture.com
springwise.com
cherryflava.com
thecoolhunter.net
trendwatching.com
creativity-online.com
adsoftheworld.com
adverblog.com
digitalvinyl.dk
interbrand.com
knowthis.com
mediafederation.org.au