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59330 Advertising Practice

UTS: Communication: Communication and Learning
Credit points: 6 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Handbook description

This subject introduces students to the practice of advertising in the context of its role in business within a changing social and cultural environment. The emphasis is on campaign strategy and idea development, the use of creative briefs, media choices and creativity in design, concept and production of print media. Students are exposed to the functions and purposes of advertising for a range of products and services drawn from a variety of sectors, including public, private, and not-for-profit. Students develop a portfolio of their creative ideas in concept layout form.

Subject objectives/outcomes

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

  1. use theories and conceptual frameworks to develop advertising
  2. have an awareness of the social and historical context of advertising
  3. analyse consumer markets and their relationships to advertising and media
  4. develop a basic understanding of the nature, principles and purposes of creative advertising
  5. be familiar with the internal and external operations of an advertising agency in the creation of advertising campaigns
  6. practise creative production skills in concept development, copywriting, art direction and layout, with a focus on print and internet advertising
  7. create conceptual layouts for print and online media.

Contribution to graduate profile

Contributes understandings of creative advertising practice to the Advertising Major within the Faculty of Business.

Teaching and learning strategies

There will be a series of weekly one-hour lectures on key topics, including industry guest lectures in areas of special interest plus a 2-hour class each week for discussion and practical creative exercises. Class activities will include campaign case studies, student presentations of their own work and practical group exercises.

All students will be required to gather a range of print advertisements and other print materials illustrating campaign creative for a range of product categories and to bring these regularly to class for conceptual analysis and critical discussion. Assignments require library and Internet research.

Content

  • History of promotion and advertising; advertising as mass communication; social and cultural perspectives on changes in style and approach over time
  • Growth of the advertising industry in Australia; growth of consumer markets; development of target audiences and media; types of media and their usages; development of new media; current role of print media
  • Foundations of semiotic analysis in advertising; signs and signification; class, age, race and gender stereotyping; conceptual analysis of social communication in advertisements; ethical and regulatory issues in advertising
  • Introduction to brand theory and positioning; introduction to advertising and integrated marketing communications
  • Principles of campaign development; understanding and interpreting the basic brief, creative concept generation and execution; copywriting basics; principles of effective art direction
  • Roles and responsibilities: the agency, the client and the agency creative team.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Print Advertisement and Critique

Objective(s): a, c, d, f
Weighting: 20%
Task: Students are to prepare a 500 word critique of an advertisement; a 150 word creative brief; alternative concepts with a recommendation for a full-page print advertisement and 500-word justification.
Assessment criteria: Demonstrated:
  • Use of advertising theory to critique and justify an advertisement;
  • Ability to prepare a creative brief;
  • Application of theoretical framework to generate advertising concepts;
  • Specificity of concepts to key audience/s identified in the brief;
  • Recognition, interpretation and communication of key proposition/need;
  • Capacity to produce written critique and concepts.

Assessment item 2: Advertising Strategy and Principles Report and Media Schedule

Objective(s): a, b, c, d, e
Weighting: 30%
Task: In an individual report of 1500 words, devise an advertising strategy for a product or service (nominated by lecturer) from researching the product, its competitors and target audience. Apply the framework taught in the subject to evaluate its advertising and that of its competitors and reference your conclusions to sound principles of advertising strategy from the literature. Using the template developed in class, prepare a 200-word creative brief for a linked print and Internet advertising campaign. You should include an indicative print and Internet media schedule in this report.
Assessment criteria: Demonstrated:
  • Ability to research consumer segments, interests and behaviour;
  • Use of theoretical framework to evaluate advertising and inform the creative approach taken;
  • Awareness of sound principles in strategic advertising development;
  • Ability to construct an idea-generating creative brief for a campaign;
  • Exploration of the promotional possibilities of print and internet media;
  • Ability to appropriately schedule media for a specific linked campaign;
  • Clarity of expression and suitable referencing.

Assessment item 3: Assessment item 3: Linked Print and Internet Advertisements

Objective(s): d, f, g
Weighting: 30%
Task: In response to the creative brief produced in Assessment 2, develop a campaign idea that links both print and Internet media. Execute that idea in concept layout form for an A4 full-page colour print advertisement and Internet banner advertisement.
Assessment criteria: Demonstrated:
  • Specificity of concept to key audience/s identified in the brief;
  • Campaign-ability of concept in both media;
  • Recognition, interpretation and communication of key proposition/need;
  • Originality of concept developed from the brief;
  • Skills in concept development in both media.

Assessment item 4: Class Presentation

Objective(s): a, c, d, e
Weighting: 20%
Task: Individual presentations. This is an exercise in the concise explanation of your linked print and Internet concept developed for Assignments 2 and 3.
Assessment criteria: Demonstrated:
  • Clarity of explanatory system used;
  • Ability to sell creative work;
  • Effective use of presentation techniques;
  • Ability to enthuse class.

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)

Textbook for purchase:

Wells, W; Spence-Stone, R; Moriarty, S; Burnett, J, (2008) Australian Advertising Principles & Practice: Pearson Education Australia.

Indicative references

Adams, J. (1990). Ethics of Unethical Ads. Campaign Nov. 16, 1990.

Aitchison, J. (1999). Cutting Edge Advertising. Prentice Hall.

Beasley, Ron (2002). Persuasive Signs: The Semiotics of Advertising. NY: Mouton de Gruyter. Bendinger, B (1993). The Copy Workbook, Copy Workshop Publishers, Chicago.

Berger, W. (2001). Advertising Today, London, Phaidon

Blake, Gary; & Bly, Robert E. The Elements of Copywriting: The Essential Guide to Creating Copy That Gets the Results You Want. Longman

Buck, S. (2001) Advertising And The Long Term Success Of The Premium Brand, Harper Business

Burton, Philip Ward. Advertising Copywriting. McGraw-Hill Irwin. ISBN 0844232068

Crompton, A. (1987). The Craft Of Copywriting. London: Hutchinson.

Fowles, Jib, (1996) Advertising And Popular Culture, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks

Goldman, R. & Papson, S. (1996). Sign Wars: The Cluttered Landscape of Advertising. NY: Guilford Press.

Hawkins, D. Neal, C And Chester, P. (1997) Consumer Behaviour: Implications For Marketing Strategy, 1st Australian Ed., McGraw Hill

Herzbrun, David (1997). Copywriting By Design - Bringing Ideas To Life With Words And Images. NTC Business Books.

Jewler, A Jerome; & Drewniany, Bonnie L (2001) 7th Edition. Creative Strategy In Advertising. Belmont:Wadsworth Thomson Learning

Jones, John Philip (2002). The Ultimate Secrets of Advertising. London: Sage.

Klein, Naomi, (2000) No Logo

Lazar, Dzamic (2003) No Copy Advertising. Switzerland: Rotovision SA

Lasn, Kalle, (1999) Culture Jam: The Uncooling Of America, Harper Collins

Leiss,W. Kline,S. Jhally, S. (1997). Social Communication In Advertising. NY; Routledge Falmer

Lwin, M; & Aitchison, J (2002). Clueless in Advertising. Singapore: Prentice Hall.

Lester, P (1995) Visual Communication: Images With Messages, Wordsworth, Belmont, Fromson International, Ca.

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

Newman, Michael (2003). Creative Leaps: Lessons in Effective Advertising. Singapore: J Wiley & Sons

Newman, Michael (2004). The 22 Irrefutable Laws of Advertising, Singapore: J Wiley & Sons Ogilvy, D. (1983) Ogilvy On Advertising NY: Crown.

Pricken, Mario (2004) Creative Advertising: Ideas & Techniques from the World's Best Campaigns, NY: Thames & Hudson

Randazzo, S. (1993). Mythmaking On Madison Avenue: How Advertisers Apply The Power Of Myth And Symbolism. Chicago.

Schiffman, Bednall et al (2001). Consumer Behaviour 2e. Australian ed. Australia: Pearson Education.

Schultz, Don E; Barnes, Beth (1995) 4th ed. Strategic Advertising Campaigns. Illinois: NTC Business Books

Schultz, Don E; Tannenbaum S; & Allison A (1996) 3rd Edition. Essentials Of Advertising Strategy. Illinois: NTC Business Books.

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

Sinclair, J. (1992), Globalisation & National Culture: Structure, Regulation & Content In The Advertising Industry In Australia, Centre For Int. Res. On COM & Inf. Techs. Melbourne

Sterne, J. (1997). What Makes People Click, Advertising On The Web. Que Corporation.

Sullivan, Luke (2000). Hey Whipple Squeeze This. A Guide to Creating Great Ads. New York: J Wiley & Sons

Sutherland, Max (1993). Advertising And The Mind Of The Consumer. Alien & Unwin.

Swanepoel, K et al (2004) One Show Interactive: Advertising's Best Interactive & New Media, AVA Publishing

Twitchell, J. (1996), Adcult USA: The Triumph Of Advertising In American Culture, Columbia University Press, NY

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


Additional useful resources
UnCover (online journals)
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)
adforum.com

Useful websites
www.accountplanninggroup.com.au/
www.adcritic.com/
www.adforum.com
www.adma.com.au/asp/index.asp
www.advertisingstandardsbureau.com.au/
www.afa.org.au/
www.adnews.com.au/
http://brandchannel.com
http://iaaglobal.org
http://interbrand.com
www.mediafederation.org.au/media_guideline.htm
www.nielsenmedia.com.au/home.asp
http://oztam.com.au
www.roymorgan.com.au/