THE TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT
Today’s world is filled with PROPOGANDA! Everywhere you look there are Adverts on
Billboards, Flyers, Television, Radio, Magazines, Newspapers, Dustbins, at the gym, in toilet
stalls, on cars and blimps, all over the internet, spam mail, lampposts, and basically anywhere
there is space in open view! Most of the time we ignore these, or so we believe! But in fact
adverts work on our SUBCONSCIOUS mind and send us SUBLIMINAL messages ALL THE TIME!
The role of advertising in our day-to-day living cannot be ignored, and is an important part of
our economy. Companies will spend billions of their money to convince you, the target
market, to buy MORE of their product. Will they stop at anything for more sales?! As a class
spend some time discussing all the best adverts you’ve seen lately, and note the clever
subliminal ways they try to persuade you to ‘buy-into’ their product or service or ‘idea’.
Some suggestions for viewing (try Youtubing them) are Old Spice and master-card adds.
(Try “The Best Advertisement in the World!” ; “Award winning… Glycodin” ; “funny cigaratte
India video” ; “best commercial ever” ; “Nice Advertisement”; etc.)
Your task for this project will be to “pitch” a television advertisement to a committee of your
teachers and peers. You and a group of your fellow students will be expected to use ALL your
SKILLS OF PERSUASION, and knowledge of ADVERTISEMENT & FILM TECHNIQUES to create a
television advertisement that will sell a product, company or ‘idea’ [such as anti-smoking, or
promoting paying for TV licences] of your group’s choice. Take a look at the notes you have
been given on advertising and film over the year to help you; these should be used as
assistance to your group’s planning and must be thought of when looking at the rubric.
Below is an outline of the project:
Point of task:
Set-up of task:
You will be put into groups of three or more for this assignment. There will be some
time given in class to brainstorm and work on your story board. You must explain your
idea and the rough outline of your group’s storyboard to your teacher before you
begin filming.
Pre-Filming & Story Board:
Before an advertising firm begins the actual filming of the advert there must first be a
storyboard of the entire advert’s progression. A storyboard should involve drawn
pictures that need not be beautiful, but must be accurate in terms of the filming
techniques, setting, characters and action of every scene in the advert. This way there
is no confusion when it comes to filming, the idea only needs to be captured. There is
no point wasting time & money walking around with a camera and no clear plan!
This storyboard must be presented at the pitching of your advert, so there should be a
rough outline to start (when initially showing your tutor) and a neater version in the
“pitch” presentation itself. Look at the rubric to get a better idea of what is expected.
Filming:
This is not as easy as some would think. Filming can be the most fun part of your
project or the worst, it really depends on your team work and preparation. Do not
leave this for the last minute! Think carefully of your location and ambiance.
Remember, you will be marked on your effective use of film technique. Think of these
questions when doing your storyboard and when on location: [Discuss these as a
group carefully]
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Will music be involved?
Does the cameraman know what type of shot/angle to use in each scene?
Is there going to be panning or tilting?
Will the action take centre frame or will it be background to something else?
Do the actors come in from the side of the frame or are they going to start
centre frame?
Time span? How long is too long? How short is too short?
Time given for task:
The ‘pitching’ of your advertisement will be done as a group on
.
There will be no extensions as the whole mark for this project will be decided on that
day. You will be given time in class to plan and create a rough storyboard as a group.
The actual filming will, if need be, have to done in your own group’s scheduled time.
Preparation time for your final presentation will be given.
What we are looking to assess:
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Film techniques for effect
AIDA principles
Advertisement ‘tricks of the trade’
The actual “PITCHING of the advert”:
The PITCH involves a short write-up on your advert’s merits, by showing an
understanding of its effectiveness in targeting the specific audience and its use
of various advertisement ‘tricks’. This will be done like a presentation, so be
well prepared: this pitch is meant to convince the committee that you have
succeeded in gripping your target market.
You will have to present this filmed advert to a room of your peers and tutors,
so be prepared to convince them that you thought of all the necessary factors
to affect your specific audience effectively.
This pitch should include a discussion of:
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Idea formation
Your ‘product’
Target Market
Film techniques and effects
Advertisement techniques (in terms of AIDA, for example)
STEP-BY-STEP BREAKDOWN OF TASK
Time is going to be a problem in this project if you do not use your time wisely, and there will
be NO extensions of deadlines for ANY reason.
Tick these steps off as you get through them (add more if you feel it necessary):
Step 1: What is your product?
Step 2: Research of target market.
Step 3: Relate product to target market (how to ‘draw in’ the target market).
Step 4: Developing concept of advert (brainstorming ideas for selling).
Step 5: Story board and final pre-filming write-up (pre-filming understanding of
advert).
Step 6: Show your story board write-up to your teacher for approval.
Step 7: HAVE FUN FILMING!! :D
Step 8: Edit raw film into advertisement.
Step 9: Draw up a sales pitch that your group will present with your advert to your
peers.
Step 10: Pitch advert to a group of your peers and educators.
RUBRIC:
1-2
Story Board
Story board has
no real relation
to advert, very
unclear lay-out
with no method
and/or purpose
at all.
Film Techniques No clear
techniques used
and purpose of
advert is
obscured by this
lack.
Ad Techniques
No techniques
used, poor and
unoriginal ideas
which are
executed poorly
Target market
No clear
purpose, target
market unclear.
Length/Editing
Pitching
Far too short or
too long.
Unprofessional,
not organised
and incoherent,
no clear selling
of advert.
3-4
Story board
lacked links to
advert, poorly
laid-out, does
not explain
method or
purpose well.
Poor use of
techniques,
poorly executed
and
unconvincing
with no purpose
Techniques are
unclear and not
appropriate at
times, lacked
originality.
Market not very
clear and advert
does not seem
purposeful.
Ad needed
better editing.
Does not sell
advert well,
missed point,
subjective &
disorganised,
unprofessional.
5-7
Story board is
good, but links
are unclear,
purpose and
method needed
clarification.
8-10
Story board
links very well
with advert and
explains
purpose and
method
excellently.
Techniques of
Use of
film are used,
appropriate
but are not
filming methods
always
is brilliantly
appropriate or
done, and
well executed.
purpose is clear.
Ad techniques
Clear use of
good, needed
persuasion and
some originality ad techniques,
and better
remarkable and
persuasion.
clever style/idea
Market clear but Market
execution of
excellently
targeting
targeted & ad’s
needed work.
purpose is clear.
Ad has good
Brilliant length,
length & editing. perfect editing.
Slightly
Clear objective
unfocussed,
ideas expressed,
links with board links with story
ok, sells advert
board, sells
partially, not
adverts merits
critical.
and is critical.
TOTAL: 60 marks