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TAKE-HOME PROJECTS
10-17. Portfolio Project: Select a product that is advertised exclusively through print.
Examples of such products are business-to-business and industrial products, school
supplies, many over-the-counter drugs, and some food items. Your objective is to develop
a 30-second television spot for this product. Develop a creative brief (see Chapter 8) to
summarize the ad’s strategy. Brainstorm about ways to develop a creative idea for the
commercial. Then write a script and develop a storyboard to present your idea for this
product. In the script include all the key decisions a producer and director would make.
10-18. Mini-Case Analysis: Summarize the creative strategy behind Altoid’s “Curiously
Strong Mints” campaign. Explain the critical elements of both the copy and the visuals.
The brand management team has proposed developing a new (sugar-free) line of cough
drops. How would you adjust this strategy to appeal to this new market? Design a
launch ad that presents your copy ideas and a new visual. Accompany the ad with a
statement that explains your thinking.
The brand’s original slogan was “The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong
Peppermints.” The Leo Burnett creatives captured the brand essence with a shorter,
wry slogan: “The Curiously Strong Mint.” The campaign tone features a type of
amusing, rather British, self-deprecation, as if the brand doesn’t take itself seriously.
That approach struck a nerve with the largely cynical, sometimes sarcastic Generation
X and Y males who have been the brand’s most loyal fans.Burnett’s memorable ads
When designing a launch ad for the new cough drop line, it is critical that students
recognize the value of the brand’s heritage and acknowledge that the brand’s strong,
TRACE North American Case
Designing Multicultural Visual Communication
Read the TRACE Case in the appendix before coming to class.
10-19.Write a design memo that describes the ‘look’of the “Hard to Explain, Easy to
Experience” campaign. What elements would you make mandatory (e.g., typeface,
colors, etc.) and which would you allow individual campuses to personalize in their
own colors?
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Hands-On Case
Creative Coffee Wars Brewing
P3-1. It is easy to see how McDonald’s used words and pictures in some of its traditional
advertising, like billboards. How are words and pictures used effectively on the
www.unsnobbycoffee.com website?
Words and visuals are effectively combined to illustrate the contents of McDonald’s
McCafe coffee, thereby communicating to customers its ability to make beverages that
measure up to the high quality ingredients that epitomize its primary competitor,
Starbucks. This is important since traditionally Donald’s is associated with
P3-2. How does the McDonald’s campaign make a relevant connection with its audience
and sell its coffee in an unexpected way?
McDonald’s decision to attack a competitor by calling it unflattering names such as
snobbish and elitist was totally unexpected, given the company’s image as a wholesome,
family-friendly organization. The negative image that McDonald’s painted of Starbucks
P3-3. How could you extend the concept of ‘unsnobby’ coffee to use it for a variety of
executions in different media?
Student responses will vary. A variety of opportunities exist to further extend the
P3-4. Compare and contrast this campaign with Starbucks’ approach. What is the Big
Idea of both campaigns? Why and how do they work?
Starbucks’ strategic approach is rooted not only in its positioning asthe premiumproduct
offeringsuperior taste, but also as a ‘lifestyle’ brand, i.e., a brand that reflects the
attitudes,values, and aspirations of its target audience. It has also taken advantage of
being the first mover in the ‘designer’ coffee market, which created category leadership
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ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
WEB REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe the importance of visual communication in print and television
advertising.
In most marketing communication, the power to get attention primarily lies with the
visual. The excitement and drama in a television commercial is created through
moving images. It is an intriguing idea that grabs attention and remains in memory.
In general, print designers have found that a picture in a print ad captures more than
twice as many readers as a headline does. Furthermore, the bigger the illustration, the
People not only notice ad visuals, they remember ads with pictures more than those
composed mostly of type. Both the believability factor and the interest-building
2. What is the relationship between visual communication and brand image?
Much of advertising’s role in the creation of a brand image comes from the visual
elements—the symbolic images associated with the brand, as well as the elements
that define the brand, such as the trademark and logo. A logo, which is the imprint
used for immediate identification of a brand or company, is an interesting design
Package design is another area where brand image is front and center. Sometimes the
brand link is the shape of the packaging or it may be in the stylistics. The package
3. Discuss the major tools in the designer’s toolkit.
The art director’s toolkit for preparing advertising includes the following:
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Illustrations and photos.When art directors use the word “art,” they usually mean
photographs and illustrations, each of which serves different purposes in ads. The
Color.Color is used to attract attention, provide realism, establish moods, and
build brand identity. Print ads with color get more attention than ads without
Typography.The ad’s typography is the appearance of the ad’s printed matter.
4. What is a print ad layout? What are the most common types of layouts?
A layout is a plan that imposes order and at the same time creates an arrangement that is
aesthetically pleasing. Here are some common types of ad layouts:
Picture window. One of the most common layout formats is one with a single,
All art. The art fills the frame of the ad and the copy is embedded in the picture.
Panel or grid. This layout uses a number of visuals of matched or proportional
Dominant type or all copy. Occasionally, you will see layouts that emphasize the
Circus. A layout that combines lots of elements—art, type, color—to deliberately
Nonlinear. This contemporary style of layout can be read starting at any point in
5. What are some of the creative and logistical differences in filming a local
television commercial versus a national commercial?
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Most local retail commercials are simple and inexpensive, and are shot and taped at
Creating a national TV commercial is more complex and requires a number of people
with specialized skills. The ad agency crew usually includes the copywriter, art
6. Define stop motion and claymation as animation techniques for television
commercials.
Stop Motionis used to film inanimate objects like the Pillsbury Doughboy, which is a
puppet. The little character is moved a bit at a time and filmed frame-by-frame. The
7. What unique challenges do web ads present to advertising designers?
Web design includes creating ads that run on the Web as well as the website itself.
Banner ads are designed more like outdoor boards than conventional print ads
because their small space puts intense requirements on the designer to make the ad
communicate quickly and succinctly, and yet attract attention and curiosity in order to
The combination of interactive navigation, live streaming video, online radio, and
ASSIGNMENTS
Individual Assignments
1. Study the role of color and contrast and its effects on readers by trying out The
Poynter Institute’s Interactive Color Tool exercise. To get there, go to
http://www.newsu.org/courses/color-news-design online and complete the exercise.
Then, summarize what you learned in a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation for the
class. Be sure and discuss how your findings impact the work of the brand
communications designer.
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2. Locate the advertising director at your local newspaper and interview him/her about
their creative responsibilities. How does he/she produce creative, effective advertising
under daily pressure? What considerations and restrictions does the newspaper format
impose upon the design process? Write a 500-word report detailing your findings.
Think-Pair-Share
1. Professor Karen Mallia, a contributor to this textbook, statesthat not only are
visual images moving, they are also becoming increasingly dramatic and
controversial. She has studied the use of religious imagery in marketing
communication and observes that “the change in tenor is best illustrated with the
use of priests in advertising.” Consider the following examples:
In 1975, Xerox’s “Brother Dominick” spot starred a sweet, earnest monk
invoking a “miracle” in duplicating 500 illuminated manuscripts.
Fast-forward to 1991, when Benetton shocked the world with a priest and
nun kissing. In 2005, Stella Artois’ “Skating Priests” award-winning spot
Mallia concludes that “The Call,” with its dramatic tone, brings a new level of
darkness to advertising featuring priests. Go to www.youtube.com and type
“Pirelli the call” into the search box to find the film and watch it. Then, in pairs,
debate the following questions: Are images like these effective? Should religious
images be avoided or are there times when they are relevant or appropriately
dramatic? What is your opinion of this practice? In what ways, if any, does this
film strengthen or reinforce the brand’s image?
2. Along with a classmate, visit an upscale retailer or restaurant in your vicinity.
Observe the various elements of environmental design, while keeping in mind that
“everything communicates.” In what ways do the architecture and interior design
contribute to the retailer’s (or restaurant’s) personality? Pay close attention to the
colors, surfaces, and type of furniture, as well as the surrounding area
immediately outside of the space. In general, what is this business attempting to
visually communicate to consumers? Prepare a 5-slide PowerPoint that provides a
comprehensive discussion of the retailer’s or restaurant’s environmental design
strategy for classroom presentation.
OUTSIDE EXAMPLES
1. Research the art of newspaper design with a visit to the Society of Newspaper
Design at http://www.snd.org. Explore all of the links, especially those that relate
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to advertising design. How is the world of newspaper design unique, and what
special considerations must the advertising designer observe here? Write up your
findings in a 500-word report.
2. Visit www.crewcuts.com, which was designated as the Best Website by the
Internet Professional Publisher’s Association several years ago. Using principles
from this chapter, write a 2-page paper that justifies the website’s receipt of this
accolade.
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