AP&P - Exercises
26/3/18 - 4/5/18 (Week 1 - Week 6)
Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Advertising Principles & Practice
Exercises - Idea Sketches
29/3/18 (Week 1)
Lecture 3
Forum
The term "media" refers to the main means of mass communication regarded collectively. Traditional or old media refers to television, radio, and newspapers, whereas "new media" refers to the internet modes of mass communication, such as social media, blogs, online news portals, and games. Both are used for the purpose of advertising although traditional media has seen a decline over the years.
Media strategy describes how advertisers will achieve the stated media objectives, which media will be used, where, how often, and when. It is a process of analyzing and choosing media for an advertising campaign. There are instances where the type of media chosen has a significant role in relaying the advertising message effectively; in other words, "the media is the message".
In-Class Exercises
Week 1
For the first week, Mr Vinod wanted us to get used to the brainstorming process before we began our idea sketches. Hence, we collectively came up with a mindmap for the topic "Japanese Speaking Classes" by throwing out any keywords that we felt were related. After that, we sketched out possible ideas for an ad by combining two different elements from the mindmap in order to form a new visual.
Week 2
Week 4
Friday
(Group: Amira, Chloe, Felicia, Muna)
Task: define product differentiation.
Week 5
Task: Find examples of a single ad as well as a series of ads in a particular campaign, and identify the SMP, big idea and strategy.
For my 10 sketches, some of them could be used if developed more. The mindmap I did for the word "hybrid" was good as it helped me focus my ideas in the right direction.
Week 5
Three of my sketches could possibly be used in a series together. Begin identifying some of the stronger ideas among the previous sketches as well and begin developing them into a campaign series.
Findings
I think I mentioned this in the previous blog post but idea generation should never be done in an isolated environment. The more I sketched, the more I realized how true this statement is. More often than not, I found that getting feedback and new perspectives from my classmates was what inspired my best ideas. Besides that, any idea that you have should never be dismissed, because sometimes the craziest and most absurd ideas could be the one that works best.
"I have seen one advertisement actually sell not twice as much, not three times as much, but 19.5 times as much as another. Both advertisements occupied the same space. Both were run in the same publication. Both had photographic illustrations. Both had carefully written copy. The difference was that one used the right appeal and the other used the wrong appeal." (Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples, 1975)
The wrong advertising can actually reduce the sales of a product. George Hay Brown, at one time head of marketing research at Ford, inserted advertisements in every other copy if the Reader's Digest. At the end of the year, the people who had not been exposed to the advertising had bought more Fords than those who had. There is a myth that says all advertising increases sales to some degree. It doesn't.
Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Advertising Principles & Practice
Exercises - Idea Sketches
LECTURE NOTES
Lecture 129/3/18 (Week 1)
To kick off this module, we were introduced to the fundamentals of advertising. The term advertising is derived from the Latin word advertere, meaning "to turn towards". Essentially, it is to turn your attention towards something. In modern times, advertising is a tool of marketing, and marketing a tool of business, where advertising seeks to make aware, persuade, communicate or create an image/brand for a product, service or organisation, at a price.
According to William Bernbach, there are 10 basic principles in advertising. These principles are important because they are the fundamental rules or beliefs that underpin this profession.
Forum
According to William Bernbach, there are 10 basic principles in advertising. These principles are important because they are the fundamental rules or beliefs that underpin this profession.
Forum
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| Fig. 1.1: Week 1 forum question. |
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| Fig. 1.2: Week 2 forum answer. |
Lecture 2
10/4/18 (Week 3)
The term marketing originates from Latin words, Mercari and Mercatus, which means "buy or trade". The American Marketing Association defines marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Marketing involves research, strategy, development, placement and promotions.
Advertising on the other hand, is one aspect of the marketing processes, where advertising involves communication and persuasion. It is also the most expensive aspect of marketing.
In short, marketing is about developing a demand for a product and fulfilling the customer's needs while advertising seeks to communicate convincingly to this customer that this should be his/her choice amongst the range of products available.
Lecture 3
13/4/18 (Week 3)
In this class, we learnt more about creativity and how to create an effective advertising message for a specific target audience. Creativity is defined as the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It involves two processes: thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative. Creativity in the context of advertising requires creative ads to make a relevant connection between brand and its target audience, present a selling idea, and be unexpected.
In order to create an advertising message that's effective, it's crucial to understand who you're speaking to. Market segmentation is a strategy of identifying groups of people with certain shared needs and characteristics within the broad markets for consumer of business products and aggregating these groups into a larger market segments according to their mutual interest in the products utility. A consumer market can be segmented into four categories: behaviouristic, geographic, demographic, and psychographic.
Forum
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| Fig. 1.3: Week 3 forum question. |
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| Fig. 1.4: Week 3 forum answer. |
Lecture 4
17/4/18 (Week 4)
The term "media" refers to the main means of mass communication regarded collectively. Traditional or old media refers to television, radio, and newspapers, whereas "new media" refers to the internet modes of mass communication, such as social media, blogs, online news portals, and games. Both are used for the purpose of advertising although traditional media has seen a decline over the years.
Media strategy describes how advertisers will achieve the stated media objectives, which media will be used, where, how often, and when. It is a process of analyzing and choosing media for an advertising campaign. There are instances where the type of media chosen has a significant role in relaying the advertising message effectively; in other words, "the media is the message".
Forum
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| Fig. 1.5: Week 4 forum question. |
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| Fig. 1.6: Week 5 forum answer. |
Lecture 5
20/4/18 (Week 4)
A free market economy is a market-based economy where prices for goods and services are set freely by the forces of supple and demand and are allowed to reach their point of equilibrium without intervention by government policy, and it typically entails support for highly competitive markets and private ownership of productive enterprises. In a free market economy, there are a number of functions and effects of advertising. With changing economies and increased competition, advertising has evolved to employ different strategies to support marketers, such as product differentiation, market segmentation and positioning, to set their products apart.
Generally, there are five advertising practices in support of marketing:
- Understanding the target audience
- The planning process
- The creative process
- Reading the target audience
- Integrated marketing communications
Lecture 6
24/4/18 (Week 5)
In this week's lecture, we were shown well-known examples of advertising campaigns, which we then analyzed in order to identify the good points that led to their success. What I understood from the entire lecture was that it is not enough just to advertise for a product. These kinds of ad campaigns do not stand the test of time, because the products of today will eventually become obsolete as technology continues to improve. Instead, good advertising focuses on building up the overall brand image and communicating the brand values to consumers. When done effectively, consumers will feel like they are buying into a lifestyle, or into particular ideals, and not just purchasing mere products.
Forum
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| Fig. 1.7: Week 5 forum question. |
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| Fig. 1.8: Week 5 forum answer. |
INSTRUCTIONS
EXERCISES
Idea Sketches
Week 2
Before I began sketching, I first came up with two mindmaps, one for TDS and another for the word "hybrid", consisting of keywords that I felt were related to each topic. From there, I tried to think of ideas for my sketches by combining keywords from both mindmaps.
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 2
Before I began sketching, I first came up with two mindmaps, one for TDS and another for the word "hybrid", consisting of keywords that I felt were related to each topic. From there, I tried to think of ideas for my sketches by combining keywords from both mindmaps.
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| Fig. 2.1: Mindmap for TDS. |
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| Fig. 2.2: Mindmap for "hybrid". |
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| Fig. 2.3: Sketches (Week 2). |
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| Fig. 2.4: Sketches (Week 2). |
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| Fig. 2.5: Sketches (Week 2). |
Week 3
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| Fig. 2.6: Sketches (Week 3). |
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| Fig. 2.7: Sketches (Week 3). |
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| Fig. 2.8: Sketches (Week 3). |
Week 4
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| Fig. 2.9: Sketches (Week 4). |
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| Fig. 2.10: Sketches (Week 4). |
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| Fig. 2.11: Sketches (Week 4). |
Week 5
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| Fig. 2.12: Sketches (Week 5). |
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| Fig. 2.13: Sketches (Week 5). |
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| Fig. 2.14: Sketches (Week 5). |
Week 6
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| Fig. 2.15: Sketches (Week 6). |
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| Fig. 2.16: Sketches (Week 6). |
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| Fig. 2.17: Sketches (Week 6). |
In-Class Exercises
Week 1
For the first week, Mr Vinod wanted us to get used to the brainstorming process before we began our idea sketches. Hence, we collectively came up with a mindmap for the topic "Japanese Speaking Classes" by throwing out any keywords that we felt were related. After that, we sketched out possible ideas for an ad by combining two different elements from the mindmap in order to form a new visual.
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| Fig. 3.1: Mindmap. |
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| Fig. 3.2: Result. |
Week 2
(Group: Chloe, Felicia, Muna, Veron)
This week we were assigned to design a poster for the School of Engineering. Everything, from the brainstorming to the final poster had to be finished on that day itself. We also had to come up with a catchy headline for the poster. The rest of the information was already prepared for us, but any visuals that we used had to be photographed ourselves in order to avoid copyright infringement.
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| Fig. 3.3: Brainstorming process. |
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| Fig. 3.4: Poster. |
Week 4
Tuesday
(Group: Mansha, Shila, Tiffany, William)
In this class, we had to design an ad for Scotch tape within thirty minutes based on the brand's USP/SMP. My group decided to advertise their duct tape, so the idea we thought of was to show a strong supervillain (the Joker) being restricted by the tape, implying the strength of the product.
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| Fig. 3.5: Result. |
(Group: Amira, Chloe, Felicia, Muna)
Task: define product differentiation.
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| Fig. 3.6: Question. |
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| Fig. 3.7: Answer. |
Week 5
Task: Find examples of a single ad as well as a series of ads in a particular campaign, and identify the SMP, big idea and strategy.
FEEDBACK
Week 2For my 10 sketches, some of them could be used if developed more. The mindmap I did for the word "hybrid" was good as it helped me focus my ideas in the right direction.
Week 3
Sketches
My first lego sketch could possibly be used. If I could think of other toys that worked in the same way, I could make a series out of the idea. As for the "crossword" sketch, the tagline needs to be changed to fit the visual better. It's interesting but not very sure if it has legs.
Blog
Other than a mistake in the title, good job on your reflection writings. Some good insight there. Keep it up Seoh, try not to get to discouraged with the workload. Just do your best and learn. Don’t focus on the grades, just learn.
My first lego sketch could possibly be used. If I could think of other toys that worked in the same way, I could make a series out of the idea. As for the "crossword" sketch, the tagline needs to be changed to fit the visual better. It's interesting but not very sure if it has legs.
Blog
Other than a mistake in the title, good job on your reflection writings. Some good insight there. Keep it up Seoh, try not to get to discouraged with the workload. Just do your best and learn. Don’t focus on the grades, just learn.
Week 4
In-class exercise (Tuesday)
The ad might be hard to understand because Joker's costume is not easily identifiable to some. Also remember to feature the product somewhere in the ad.
Project 1
Introduction complete. Citation complete. Detailed research. Sufficient data. Sharp observation. Analysis with depth. Well-organized slides. Relevant images and data. Detailed SWOT. Sufficient references. Really well-written.
Sketches
The closet one and the girl made up of building blocks are both visually interesting. The selfie one might be too complex to understand at a glance. The claw machine is interesting because it's psychologically engaging.
Week 5
Three of my sketches could possibly be used in a series together. Begin identifying some of the stronger ideas among the previous sketches as well and begin developing them into a campaign series.
Week 6
The sketch of the girl opening a closet was selected. Instead of having all the different skillsets inside, Mr Vinod suggested some sort of fantasy, out-of-the-ordinary scene within the closet instead.
REFLECTION
Experience
It was really challenging to think of new ideas every week for the sketches. There were times when I was so frustrated at myself for not being able to ideate, that I didn't even want to do the work. When that happened, I had to tell myself to push through it, and just sketch whatever comes to mind, whether or not the idea would work. Occasionally, I'd be surprised to find that the ideas I thought of in frustration were the ones that had potential.
Observation
I realized that late afternoons on Fridays are not exactly the best time to have open feedback sessions, especially after our Branding Corporate Identity class. By this time, everyone would be half dead and struggling to stay awake that they wouldn't even be paying full attention. Because of that, I noticed that sometimes the quality of feedback given was not as good as I hoped it'd be.
Findings
I think I mentioned this in the previous blog post but idea generation should never be done in an isolated environment. The more I sketched, the more I realized how true this statement is. More often than not, I found that getting feedback and new perspectives from my classmates was what inspired my best ideas. Besides that, any idea that you have should never be dismissed, because sometimes the craziest and most absurd ideas could be the one that works best.
FURTHER READING
The Fundamentals of Advertising by John Wilmshurst and Adrian Mackay
2/4/18 - 13/4/18 (Week 2 - Week 3)
2/4/18 - 13/4/18 (Week 2 - Week 3)
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| Fig. 4.1: The Fundamentals of Advertising. |
What makes a good advertisement?
Roderick White, author of the book Advertising: What it is and how to do it suggests some rules of his own (a compendium in fact of guidelines put forward by various advertising pundits down the ages):
Roderick White, author of the book Advertising: What it is and how to do it suggests some rules of his own (a compendium in fact of guidelines put forward by various advertising pundits down the ages):
- Every advert should embody a clear, straightforward proposition.
- Say what you have to say in as few words as possible.
- There is no place for humour in advertising.
- Give the consumer credit for some intelligence.
- Be original.
Some of these guidelines embody the thinking of David Ogilvy who lists his own rules for 'How to Build Great Campaigns'. They run:
- What you say is more important than how you say it.
- Unless your campaign is built round a great idea it will flop.
- Give the facts.
- You cannot bore people into buying.
- Be well-mannered but don't clown.
- Make your advertising contemporary.
- Committees can criticize advertisements, but they can't write them.
- If you are lucky enough to write a good advertisement; run it until it stops pulling.
- Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read.
- The image and the brand- every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image. If you take that long view, a great many day-to-day problems resolve themselves.
- Don't be a copy-cat.
None of these 'rules' are universally agreed. For example, White points out that humour is often successfully used in advertising. He also comments on the fact that the strict application of some rules can be very limiting.
How 30 Great Ads Were Made by Eliza Williams
16/4/18 - 27/4/18 (Week 4 - Week 5)
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| Fig. 4.2: How 30 Great Ads Were Made. |
A great piece of advertising can inspire conversation, newspaper headlines, and a viral response. It can be a cultural event, become symbolic of a certain era. It can take you back in time.
It was during the first decade of the new millennium that digital media really took hold - a force that proved immensely disruptive to the rather conservative working methods of the ad industry. Prior to the rise of the Internet, television and print advertising were king and queen; they were the only media that mattered. Suddenly in the 2000s, brands and ad agencies were forced to explore different ways of talking to their customers. via digital means.
Besides this digital explosion, another theme of the decade - and an enduring motif throughout the history of advertising - was the use of humour to reach consumers.
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
27/4/18 - 4/5/18 (Week 5 - Week 6)
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| Fig. 4.3: Ogilvy on Advertising. |
"I have seen one advertisement actually sell not twice as much, not three times as much, but 19.5 times as much as another. Both advertisements occupied the same space. Both were run in the same publication. Both had photographic illustrations. Both had carefully written copy. The difference was that one used the right appeal and the other used the wrong appeal." (Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples, 1975)
The wrong advertising can actually reduce the sales of a product. George Hay Brown, at one time head of marketing research at Ford, inserted advertisements in every other copy if the Reader's Digest. At the end of the year, the people who had not been exposed to the advertising had bought more Fords than those who had. There is a myth that says all advertising increases sales to some degree. It doesn't.
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