Journalism and Media Research Centre
Course Outline
MDIA5021 – Advertising & Creativity
Semester Two, 2012
Course outline may have minor revisions until the beginning of semester
UOC: 6
Course convenor, lecturer and tutor: Dr Bem Le Hunte
Dr Bem Le Hunte has worked for over twenty-three years as a Creative Director, Brand
Consultant and Copywriter, both in the UK, Australia and India. She has written for over
500 clients across a wide range of industries, creating everything from integrated
campaigns to television and press ads, corporate videos, direct mail, electronic direct
mail, websites, brochures and guerrilla campaigns.
Trained as an Anthropologist with a Doctorate in Creative Writing, Bem has a research
interest in cross-media innovation as well as the social, cultural and political impacts of
media consumption in Australia. She has also written novels and short stories that have
been published internationally to critical acclaim.
Contact time and availability:
For consultations please contact Bem Le Hunte on b.lehunte@unsw.edu.au
Appointment times: Mondays 2 – 5pm
Tutor: Hugh Kronenberg
Hugh Kronenberg has worked for over twenty years as a Creative Director and runs his
own communications consultancy, working on brand and strategy development,
consumer advertising and healthcare communications. He is also an experienced
advertising lecturer who has developed and taught advertising courses in Australia.
Contact time and availability:
For consultations please contact Hugh Kronenberg during tutorials.
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Course location and time:
Lecture:
DAY
Mondays
Tutorials:
#
8066
8067
8068
8070
8071
8072
DAY
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
TIME
1800 – 1900*
ROOM
Chemical Sc M18
LOCATION
F10
TIME
0900 –
1200 –
1300 –
1600 –
1700 –
1800 –
ROOM
Quad GO47
Webst 250
ElecEng221
ElecEng221
ElecEng221
Mathews 130
LOCATION
E15
G15
G17
G17
G17
F23
1000
1300
1400
1700
1800
1900
*Please note:
On the evening when an industry guest joins us (see classes in schedule below) lectures
may run a few minutes later to accommodate a question and answer session. Out of
politeness to our guest(s), attendance after 7pm is strongly encouraged, but may be
excused with the permission of your tutor. To be excused, please notify your tutor via email,
the week before the lecture in question.
Please be advised:
Students will be assigned partners and presentation times in their first tutorial. Attendance
in your registered tutorial is mandatory. Students will NOT be permitted to switch tutorials
after July 25th.
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Course Summary
This course has been designed as a ‘portfolio clinic’ for students interested in
exploring the opportunities, processes and constraints at work in top creative
departments around the world.
Students will be encouraged to see advertising as one of the major ‘languages’ of
our culture and taught critical methodologies to deliver ‘creative content’ for a broad
range of clients across a number of different mediums – from print, TV and radio
through to direct mail, eDMs, new media and guerrilla campaigns.
This course will be of interest to anyone who wants to enter either the strategic or
creative side of the advertising and communications industry. You’ll gain important
insights into the key output of the advertising industry – the creative work that
embodies strategic thinking. If you work hard on your weekly assignments, by the
end of this course you should have a diverse and interesting portfolio of concepts
and campaign thinking to help you break into this industry.
Course Aims
This course will teach you to:
1 - Develop a critical understanding of advertising as a language for consumer
culture.
2 – Understand how creativity functions in general, and apply creative thinking in
an advertising context.
3 – Understand the objectives of an advertising brief and execute this brief to
create communication material across a wide range of media and for a broad
range of clients.
3 – Creatively convey messages and deliver consumer and brand insights that are
original, persuasive, insightful, ethical and on brief.
Student Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this subject you should be able to:
1 – Apply creative strategies across a broad range of advertising media,
2 – Develop a critical understanding of advertising objectives,
4 – Critique and revise their work,
5 – Work effectively with feedback and present your ideas with confidence.
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Graduate Attributes
In this course you should develop the following graduate attributes:
1 – An in-depth engagement with the language of advertising and the strategy
that goes into creating it,
2 – The capacity to problem-solve and think creatively in the advertising context
and beyond,
3 – Collaboration skills, initiative and entrepreneurial talent,
4 – Effective, persuasive communication skills.
Teaching Strategies
Lectures will be conducted in a large lecture theatre to ensure consistent delivery
of the core curriculum and equal exposure to industry guest speakers.
Smaller tutorials have been designed to simulate the agency experience, with
time spent briefing students on weekly assignments and assessing the
effectiveness of creative responses. These smaller groups give tutors time for
feedback and you time to reflect on the issues raised by weekly lectures.
This course offers continual practical engagement with the ideas that help to
inform and construct world-class advertising today. Prepare to make inspirational
discoveries about the creative mind at work – and put yours to work in a way
that will reap benefits no matter which industry you find yourself in.
To get the most out of this course you are encouraged to collect as many
ads/pieces of communication that you find (from a diverse range of sources) and
bring them along to your tutorials.
Resources for students
Required textbook:
Altstiel, Tom & Grow, Jean, 2010. Advertising Creative: Strategy, Copy, and
Design 2nd edition, Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
(Please note: Mandatory textbook is available from the UNSW Bookshop)
Recommended texts
Sullivan, L. (2008). Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great
Advertising, 3rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
(Please note: This recommended text should be available in the UNSW Bookshop)
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Additional resources
Mahon, N. (2008). Basics Advertising: Art Direction. Switzerland, Ava Publishing
Bowdery, R. (2008). Basics Advertising: Copywriting. Switzerland, Ava Publishing
(Please note: These optional texts are available from the UNSW Bookshop)
http://www.adnews.com.au/
http://www.bandt.com.au/
http://www.campaignbrief.com/
http://www.australiancreative.com.au/
http://www.bestadsontv.com/
BLACKBOARD
Your creative work for Assessments 1, 2 and 3 should be submitted to the class
BLACKBOARD.
BLACKBOARD is also where you will find:
- A variety of extra briefs that you may wish to tackle,
- Lecture summary slides (the day after your lectures),
- Extra course readings, and
- Assignment coversheets.
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Course Outline
UNSW
CALENDAR WEEK
LECTURE DATE
PROPOSED CONTENT
WEEK 1:
Lecture 1: 16 July
CREATIVE
THINKING
Introduction
TUTORIAL
PROPOSED CONTENT
ASSESSMENT
INFORMATION
NO TUTORIAL FIRST
WEEK
READINGS
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
Overview of Creative
thinking
CHPT 1-2
Creative thinking in
advertising
Course expectations
Assessment tasks
explained
WEEK 2:
Lecture 2: 23 July
RESPONDING TO Understanding strategy
A BRIEF
Tutorial 1:24 July
Student introductions
Understanding your
audience
Exercises to unlock
creativity
Questioning a brief
Hands-on analysis of a
creative brief
How to present a creative
rationale
Lecture 3: 30 July
Tutorial 2: 31 July
DECONSTRUCTING
CREATIVE
APPROACHES
Advertising as language
Critique submissions for
portfolio task on cause
advertising
Giving form to ideas
(Sample briefs
enclosed in
Blackboard folder)
How to write your own
brief
WEEK 3:
Styles and categories of
communication and
messages
ALTSTIEL &
PORTFOLIO TASK
GROW
Create an
advertisement for a
CHPT 4-5
cause or for corporate
citizenship
Discuss issues and
examples around this
week’s lecture.
Brief next week’s portfolio
task
DUE:
PORTFOLIO TASK
ON CAUSE
ADVERTISING
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
CHPT 5-6
BRIEF:
PORTFOLIO TASK
Create an
advertisement for the
National Broadband
Service, Connected
Health, Connected
Learning or an IT
product of your choice
(Sample briefs
enclosed in Blackboard
folder)
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WEEK 4:
Lecture 4: 6 Aug
Tutorial 3: 7 Aug
BRAINSTORMING Unpacking creative tools
TECHNIQUES
Critique submissions for
portfolio task on an IT
Analyzing creative thinking brief
in world class advertising
Discuss issues and
Tailoring your creativity
examples around this
to your brief
week’s lecture.
Brief assessment 1 – the
MYSTERY BRIEF
DUE:
PORTFOLIO TASK
ON ADVERTISING
IT
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
CHPT 6
BRIEF:
ASSESSMENT 1 –
MYSTERY BRIEF
(Briefed today, due
next tutorial)
This week you will receive
a mystery brief – a brief
that you know nothing
about until today. You’ll
have one week to work on it
this assessment before
presenting it during your
next tutorial – this is an
individual assignment –
you will not work in pairs
WEEK 5:
Lecture 5: 13 Aug
Tutorial 4: 14 Aug
CONCEPTUAL
THINKING AND
MAINSTREAM
ADVERTISING
Brands and mainstream
advertising
Critique assessment 1 –
CHPT 7-9
responses to the MYSTERY
BRIEF:
BRIEF during the tutorial
PORTFOLIO TASK
Create a tourism
Discuss issues and
advertisement for a
examples around this
country of your choice
week’s lecture.
– or a means of travel
Brief next week’s portfolio
(Sample briefs
task
enclosed in
Blackboard folder)
How to think conceptually
How and why good
concepts work
Working on headlines
The importance of brevity
DUE:
ASSESSMENT 1 –
MYSTERY BRIEF
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
DUE:
PORTFOLIO TASK
ON TOURISM
ADVERTISING
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
Developing the right tone
for your audience
WEEK 6:
Lecture 6: 20 Aug
Tutorial 5: 21 Aug
GUEST LECTURE
>> Guest lecturer<<
Creative Director
Critique submissions for
portfolio task on travel
advertising
(subject to availability)
(ALTERNATIVELY)
Creative brainstorming
demonstrated live with two
industry professionals and
audience participation!
Discuss issues and
examples around this
week’s lecture.
Brief next week’s portfolio
task
CHPT 7-9
BRIEF:
PORTFOLIO TASK
Create an
advertisement for an
FMCG or ‘me too’
product
(Sample briefs
enclosed in
Blackboard folder)
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WEEK 7:
Lecture 7: 27 Aug
Tutorial 6: 28 Aug
CREATIVITY IN
DIRECT
MARKETING AND
NEW MEDIA
Creative concepts that
use the ‘direct’ medium
effectively
How to create a longer,
persuasive argument
through direct
communication
Using your creativity to
increase response
READING
WEEK:
BRIEF:
PORTFOLIO TASK
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
Critique submissions for
portfolio task on an FMCG
or ‘me too’ product
Create a loyalty pack
or a welcome pack.
CHPT 12-15
Discuss issues and
examples around this
week’s lecture.
(Sample briefs
enclosed in
Blackboard folder)
Brief next portfolio
task (due tutorial 7)
NO Lecture: 3 Sep
NO Tutorial: 4 Sep
NO Lecture: 10 Sep
No Tutorial: 11 Sep
WEEK 9:
Lecture 8: 17 Sep
Tutorial 7: 18 Sep
THE CAMPAIGN
Creating ‘the big idea’
Working with taglines
Critique submissions for
direct mail portfolio task
MID-SEMESTER
BREAK
WEEK 8:
POST GRADUATE
READING BREAK
DUE:
PORTFOLIO TASK
ON WELCOME OR
LOYALTY PACK
Creating versatile themes
that ‘have legs’
Discuss campaign thinking DUE:
and examples around this ASSESSMENT 2 –
week’s lecture.
YOUR FIVE TOP
Communicating a message
ADS (by Friday 21
across many mediums
Start work towards
September)
assessment 2 – the
Making the most creative CAMPAIGN
BRIEF:
use of every medium
ASSESSMENT 3 –
THE CAMPAIGN
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
CHPT 3
CHPT 8
Create some radio,
direct, social media or
guerrilla concepts
around a mainstream
idea you’ve developed,
(or a new idea) using
the same campaign
theme
MDIA5021 outline 30/05/12 1600h
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WEEK 10:
Lecture 9: 24 Sep
Tutorial 8: 25 Sep
PRINCIPLES OF
GOOD
COPYWRITING
(PHASE 1)
Working with longer texts
Continue working on
Assessment 3 – the
CAMPAIGN
Working with support
points
Audience empathy
The art of brevity
Benefits vs. features
Principles of persuasion
WEEK 11:
NO LECTURE
1 Oct
National holiday –
no lecture
CHPT 10
Discuss issues and
examples around this
week’s lecture.
Discuss presentation
protocols for the next two
weeks
Tutorial 9: 2 Oct
Assessment 3 –
CAMPAIGN presentations
WEEK 12:
Lecture 10: 8 Oct
Tutorial 10: 9 Oct
THE CREATIVE’S
CHECKLIST
Creating a portfolio
Assessment 3 –
CAMPAIGN presentations
Getting into the industry
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
DUE:
ASSESSMENT 3 –
PRESENTATIONS of
THE CAMPAIGN
(in pairs)
ALTSTIEL &
GROW
CHPT 1516
DUE:
ALTSTIEL &
ASSESSMENT 3 –
GROW
PRESENTATIONS of
THE CAMPAIGN
CHPT 17
(in pairs)
Professional practice
MDIA5021 outline 30/05/12 1600h
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Assessment Details
Assessment 1 Individual
Title
Mystery Brief
Expectations
Advertising and Creativity is run as a ‘portfolio clinic.’ During
most weekly tutorials you’ll be set a brief and be asked to
present your work next tutorial for feedback.
On week 4 you’ll be given a mystery brief – your first official
assessment, which you’ll have to present for your tutorial on
week 5. This is an individual assessment – you won’t be working
in pairs. You’ll receive individual written feedback and
suggestions that should help you fine-tune your thinking for your
final portfolio presentation.
You will not be assessed on visual execution – this will be
explained in your tutorial – but you will be assessed on how well
you’ve been able to convert strategic thinking into creative ideas,
integrating all the advice you have received so far.
Every week extra optional briefs will be enclosed in the class
BLACKBOARD folder. If you get a chance to do some of these
you’ll have more experience before you tackle assessment 1.
Assessment
criteria
Length
Weighting
You will be assessed on your response to the brief, your
creativity, originality, effectiveness, relevance, ability to
understand and interpret the brief and your ability to understand
the medium.
Your submission should include at least two concepts in response
to the brief. These should be presented in class and the same
concepts should be put up on BLACKBOARD the day of your
presentation. No more than 5 slides (not including cover sheet).
20% total (10% each piece).
Slides must be submitted to BLACKBOARD by August 14 – the
same day you present your work for assessment 1.
BLACKBOARD - Please submit your work as a PowerPoint converted to a PDF
Due date
submission
- A coversheet IS required
requirements
- Do not attach your coversheet as a separate file
- Only one copy of the assignment is to be submitted per team
- The submitted file must be named as follows:
5021_ ASSIGNMENT#_TUTORIAL#_STUDENTID
i.e.: 5021_1_8066_z3222227
Additional
details:
Late
submissions
Please use the cover page information included on page 15 of
this document.
Your final assignment grade will be deducted 2% per day for
every day (including Saturday and Sunday) your team is late
submitting your assignment.
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Assessment Details
Assessment 2 In pairs
Title
Final portfolio - your five best concepts
Expectations
By the end of the course you should have worked on several
creative briefs or ‘portfolio tasks.’ Assessment 2 lets you choose
your top five individual concepts for your final portfolio
presentation. These can include direct marketing, banner ads,
radio, TV, outdoors, guerrilla concepts, etc. Make sure you take
advantage of the extra briefs available on BLACKBOARD – that
way you’ll have more choice when it comes to picking your top
five.
You will not be assessed on visual execution – this will be
explained in your tutorial – but you will be assessed on how well
you’ve been able to convert strategic thinking into creative ideas.
If your tutor has given you advice on how you can improve your
ideas it’s important to work on your top five pieces of
communication early on to maximise your marks.
A concise rationale should also be presented for each piece.
Assessment
criteria
Length
Weighting
Due date
You’ll have the chance to brainstorm and produce your ideas in
pairs, just as you would in the creative department of an agency.
You’ll present your five best ads on week 12 of the course.
(You’ll be allocated a pair and a presentation date on week 2
during your first tutorial).
You will be assessed on your response to the brief, your
creativity, originality, effectiveness, relevance, ability to
understand and interpret the brief and ability to understand the
medium. Your rationale should be grammatically correct, without
spelling errors.
Five ads – can include other pieces of communication (social
media, direct mail, guerrilla marketing concepts, etc). These
should be presented on no more than 10 slides, not including
cover sheet, but including creative rationale (no more than 30
words per concept).
50% total (10% each piece).
Slides of your top 5 must be submitted to BLACKBOARD in week
9 on Friday 21 September.
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BLACKBOARD - Please submit your work as a PowerPoint converted to a PDF
submission
- A coversheet IS required
requirements
- Do not attach your coversheet as a separate file
- Only one copy of the assignment is to be submitted per team
- The submitted file must be named as follows:
5021_ ASSIGNMENT#_TUTORIAL#_STUDENTID
i.e.: 5021_2_8066_z3222227
(Only the student ID of the team member submitting the file
should be included in the file’s name.)
ALSO – and this is important:
YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN
YOUR SUBMISSION.
‘The enclosed work is the product of our original thinking. We
also agree that the workload for this assignment was distributed
fairly between team members and that everyone contributed
equally.’
Please put a digital signature on this statement. If you feel that
you cannot make this statement, please see your tutor.
Additional
details:
Late
submissions
Please use the cover page information included on page 15 of
this document.
It is in your interests to present weekly portfolio work regularly if
you wish to make the most of continuous feedback and improve
your final mark.
Your final assignment grade will be deducted 2% per day for
every day (including Saturday and Sunday) your team is late
submitting your assignment.
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Assessment 3
Pairs assessment
Title
One campaign per team, with rationale
Expectations
During the course you’ll have plenty of time for creative
responses to a wide variety of briefs. You’ll also be taught how to
create campaign ideas that run across a variety of mediums.
During this course you’ll have worked on a wide selection of
briefs. You may choose any one of these briefs to develop into a
campaign for this assessment.
You will need to create a campaignable idea out of one of your
portfolio tasks and demonstrate how it can be carried across at
least three different mediums (radio, direct, social media, web,
mobile, etc).
Assessment
criteria
You’ll be assessed on your ability to think strategically and
communicate your ideas creatively across a variety of mediums (at
least three mediums). These should include print or TV ads, and
either radio, direct mail, new media or any other medium you feel
is appropriate.
You’ll be marked on the quality of your thinking and the originality
of your response – on your creativity, effectiveness, relevance,
your ability to understand and interpret the brief and your
understanding of the medium. You’ll be expected to have a ‘big
idea’ that’s ‘campaignable’ and to demonstrate interesting use of
the various mediums you select to convey your campaign idea.
You’ll also be expected to write a short creative rationale.
You’ll be marked on your correct use of language and grammar as
well as the quality of your thinking.
You’ll present your campaign on weeks 11 and 12 of the course.
(You’ll be allocated a pair and a presentation date on week 2
during your first tutorial). Slides of your campaign must be
submitted to BLACKBOARD on the day of your presentation).
Length
Weighting
Due date
No more than 10 slides (not including cover sheet), including up to
300 words of creative rationale (maximum).
30%
Presentations take place in weeks 11 and 12 during your tutorial. A
copy of the slides must be submitted to your tutor immediately
before your presentation and formally submitted via Turnitin within
24 hours of your presentation.
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BLACKBOARD
- Please submit your work as a PowerPoint converted to a PDF
submission
- A coversheet IS required
requirements
- Do not attach your coversheet as a separate file
- Only one copy of the assignment is to be submitted per team
- The submitted file must be named as follows:
5021_ ASSIGNMENT#_TUTORIAL#_STUDENTID
i.e.: 5021_3_8066_z3222227
(Only the student ID of the team member submitting the file
should be included in the file’s name.)
ALSO – and this is important:
YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN
YOUR SUBMISSION.
‘The enclosed work is the product of our original thinking. We also
agree that the workload for this assignment was distributed fairly
between team members and that everyone contributed equally.’
Please put a digital signature on this statement. If you feel that
you cannot make this statement, please see your tutor.
Additional
details:
Late
submissions
Please use the cover page information included on page 15 of this
document.
It is in your interests to present weekly portfolio work regularly if
you wish to make the most of continuous feedback and improve
your final mark.
Your final assignment grade will be deducted 2% per day for
every day (including Saturday and Sunday) your team is late
submitting your assignment.
(CON’T NEXT PAGE)
Over the page are:
1 – Assignment coversheets and/or templates to be submitted with each assignment
2 – A general guide to assessment
MDIA5021 outline 30/05/12 1600h
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MDIA5021
Cover Sheet: Assignments 2 & 3
COURSE NUMBER
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER
TUTOR’S NAME
TUTORIAL NUMBER
.
STUDENT 1:
STUDENT ID #:
FIRST NAME:
LAST NAME:
ENGLISH NAME:
STUDENT 2:
STUDENT ID #:
FIRST NAME:
LAST NAME:
ENGLISH NAME:
(IF APPLICABLE)
(IF APPLICABLE)
The enclosed work is the product of our original thinking. We also agree that the workload for this assignment was
distributed fairly between team members and that everyone contributed equally.
[INSERT DIGITAL SIGNATURES HERE]
Once complete, save your assignment as a PDF.
Name the file as follows: 5021_ASSIGNMENT # _TUTORIAL#_STUDENTID
Only the student ID of the person sending in the file should be used in the title
(for example: 5021_2_8066_z3222279)
PLEASE SUBMIT VIA BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY REQUIRED
THIS IS TO BE THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT.
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT IT TO BLACKBOARD AS A SEPARATE FILE.
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Explanation of UNSW grades
Source: https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/academiclife/assessment/GuideToUNSWGrades.html
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Attendance will be taken during the tutorials. Students are required to attend 80% of all
classes: this means you must attend at least 10 of the 12 weeks in this course unless specific
and formal permission has been granted. Failure to do so without proper certification will
result in failure of the course. Explanation of absences, or requests for permission to be
absent from forthcoming classes, should be addressed to your tutor. Explanation of an
absence of more than one week should be addressed in writing to the Registrar, and, where
applicable,
should
be
accompanied
by
a
medical
certificate.
See
also
http://my.unsw.edu.au/student/resources/Policies.html
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