COURSE OVERVIEW

As its title implies, this class focuses on creating advertising copy for different media.  You also will become acquainted with the principles of developing an advertising strategy, as well as creative strategy.

The class combines many of the elements you may have learned in other courses (e.g., target marketing, media characteristics, research) to help you develop creative copy for effective ads.

This course stresses the practical approaches to planning, developing and writing finished advertising messages for selected media for a specific client.  By the end of this course, you will have developed a portfolio of ads for this client based on marketing information and a target market for that client’s product or service.  Lectures will include market selection and concept development methods, as well as the principles and techniques for developing effective advertising messages for specific media.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, you should:

A.          know the basic principles guiding the development of effective ad strategy and messages.

B.          know the difference between “good” and “bad” advertising messages.

C.          have improved (or found!) your “creative juices.”

D.          understand and be able to apply advertising design principles.

E.          have the ability to “pitch” a client or agency management with your advertising ideas.

F.          have the ability to write copy appropriate for a variety of advertising media.

G.          a portfolio of good quality work. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A.          Assignments:  Although there are no exams for this course, there are several assignments:

1.         Four major assignments which, combined at the end of the semester, should constitute most of a campaign for one client.

2.         Approximately 8 in-class exercises which should help you with creating your other assignments.

3.         A final project which includes putting your best work together for a portfolio and presenting it in class.

Producing good ideas and copy is what will make you successful in this class — and in the real world.  You should strive to meet professional standards of quality.  You will not be graded on your technical skills and creative ability per se, but on your use of the course concepts in your work; neatness; and the correct use of good grammar, spelling and punctuation.  (You can’t break the rules until you know what they are and how to use them correctly.)

Your instructor will be the final judge of what is a good ad.  Your grades are not determined on whether your work is equal to — or better than — one of your classmate’s.  They are based on whether you meet a standard set for this class:  How well you use sound advertising principles to develop and execute a creative package.

You will be expected to be able to explain your approach, strategy, etc., completely and professionally.  It’s not enough to generate great ideas; you must be able to defend them and generate acceptance of them.

General criteria for grading your assignments include:

A.          Overall creativity                                    D.        Neatness and thoroughness

B.          Freshness/originality                          E.         Appropriateness to medium

C.          Concept/campaign continuity            F.         Appropriateness to audience  

Assignments are:

A.          4 Major Projects (@ 100 pts. each) = 400 possible points

B.          8 in-class exercises (@ 25 pts. each) = 200 possible points*

C.          Final Project Portfolio = 150 possible points

D.          Final Project Presentation = 50 possible points

* = may be fewer in-class assignments, depending on class needs 

COURSE GRADING POLICIES

1. Late work will not be accepted.  If you know you’ll be out of town on a due date, turn in your work early.  A late assignment earns a zero for points. 
2. Fabricating information or using another’s work as your own earns you an “F” for the course.  (See “Course Policies” #2.)
3. Points will be deducted from assignments that have numerous grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.  Although advertising copy often misspells words (“lite,” “nite,” etc.), you will not be allowed to do that for this course unless it is absolutely necessary creatively.
4. Mechanical requirements for each assignment will be provided on the assignment handout and must be adhered to and be part of the grade for the assignment.
5. Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned chapters upon which assignments are based.
6. The ability to make up any missed assignment is at the discretion of the instructor.
7. Numerical grades are awarded for each assignment.  To determine your grade for the course, assignment grades will be totaled and then divided by the total number of possiblepoints to derive your percentage. The grading scale is:

A   =          90% -100% of the total possible points

B   =          80% - 89% of the total possible points

C   =          70% - 79% of the total possible points

D   =          60% - 69% of the total possible points

F    =          Less than 60% of the total possible points

Late work will not be accepted.

Attendance:  Students are expected to attend, be on time for and participate in class.  The instructor reserves the right to drop any student who misses more than four class periods.  Makeup work for any absence is at the discretion of the instructor.

1. Plagiarism and cheating:  The MSU Student Honor Creed, found in both your student handbook and the university catalog, includes the statement:  “As an MSU student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else to do so.”

Plagiarism, lying and cheating include, but are not limited to:  fabricating information and sources, copying material from publications without crediting the author, turning in another student’s work as your own, and copying quiz/exam answers from another person.  STUDENTS FOUND CHEATING, PLAGIARIZING OR MAKING UP INFORMATION WILL RECEIVE AN “F” FOR THIS COURSE.

1. Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act: Any student with a disability that may prevent full participation in this course should notify the instructor at the beginning of the course to ensure that alternatives may be found to provide the student with full class participation
2. Limited Right:  By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants MSU a “limited right” in all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course. This “limited right” shall include, but shall not be limited to, the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality and authenticity, and for educational purposes.
3. FERPA:  The instructor abides by the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.  The instructor also will not release a student’s academic information or discuss a student’s academic progress or class attendance with his/her parent or guardian.  Additionally, the instructor will not discuss a student’s grades with him/her in class, over the phone or by email.  Students who have questions about their grades must make an appointment with the instructor.
4. Disruptive Behavior:  Anyone disrupting the class – or violating any other Standard of Conduct applicable to the classroom environment – will be dropped from the course.  (See MSU Student Handbook, Sec. VI, “Standards of Student Conduct.”)
5. Turn off the sound on your cell phone during class.  No text messaging either.  If your phone rings or you’re found sending a text-message during class, you will be dropped from the course.

b.   Turn off your iPods, MP3 players and similar technology and leave them in your backpack – or at home.  Like ringing cell phones, this is a class disruption issue and you will be dropped from the course if you do not comply.