Monday 9 November 2015

Magazine Ad: The Brief, Research and Planning

YOUR TASK
The brief you have received is to create a magazine ad for a new product - not an existing brand or product, but one you have invented! You need to showcase your Photoshop skills for this, combining multiple image layers and carefully designed text, but also be clear on who the ad is aimed at and how you have designed your text to appeal to this audience/market, including consideration of how you have represented people or places (use of stereotypes or countertypes). There should be evidence that you have researched and used ideas or strategies from existing ads. You will present an evaluation of your completed work.
A reminder of the range of things you need to create and include. I refer to this ad below. CTRL-click on a PC to enlarge.

THE STEPS
  1. Learn the 'media language' used to describe shot types.
  2. Research existing ads, highlighting persuasive techniques they use and what they include.
  3. Develop and practice Photoshop skills.
  4. Create your own product idea and list what will feature in your ad.
  5. Review learning from existing ads, and pick out points from any 3 ads that you will use in your ad. You may want to make changes to your idea as a result.
  6. Gather/shoot the images you need for your ad.
  7. Draft your ad and get peer feedback.
  8. Finalise the ad.
  9. Take part in an 'expo' where you will present your work at a 'trade fair' for new products.
  10. Submit a short Evaluation of your work.
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP WORK?
This is intended as an individual task; the video tasks will be group work.
However, you can team up to:
  • develop an idea
  • develop packaging
  • create and share a company logo
  • come up with multiple slogans to pick from
  • cast and shoot a model, so long as you each use a different photo
You could work in small groups on the same product so long as you each produce a distinctively different ad, with different photos of the model and background, plus a different slogan. You need to get permission from your teacher for any shared work.

WHAT THE AD MUST INCLUDE
Just as with your practice ad, there are minimum requirements on what your main ad must include:
  • a model/character (a photo YOU have taken) removed (cropped) from the background of the original image, and who is clearly appropriate for your target market
  • a 2nd image as a background (a photo YOU have taken) [you may include several images! you may also try a graphic design approach like the Diet Pepsi ad we looked at]
  • a product shot (you can use an existing image as long as you change the packaging)
  • a main slogan - you could include a secondary slogan with...
  • ...a suitable website address (you could use social media icons/address too)
  • the company logo (you can use an existing company, but may wish to challenge yourself with a new company and logo - you can share work on this)
  • you could include a QR code if you're using a competition as part of your ad idea

STEP 4: DETAILING YOUR PRODUCT/AD IDEA
By now you've all learned and applied the key media language (use handouts, also available on this blog, if you need to remind yourself of any terms), researched a range of ads and practiced your Photoshop skills.

Some of you have already created your main product idea, and started working on what the ad will include. All of you need to list the following and submit this through Showbie (you can copy/paste the text from this post). You can use short bullet points if you wish; you don't need to submit a lot of writing.

PRODUCT TYPE: state what type of product this will be, eg soft drink, clothing, footwear, jewellry, games, technology, scent (perfume/aftershave), cosmetics/toiletries. Be specific: if its a soft drink, for example, what flavour; is it a diet, caffeine-free, added vitamins (health) or energy drink?

PACKAGING: What will the product look like? You might find it useful to use an image of an existing product to illustrate this, but make sure you actually describe the shape, colour, any text/logo on your packaging.

COMPANY: If you're brave enough to come up with your own company and its logo, describe this (if not, state which existing company - that's the brand, not the product - you will use).

WHO IS IT AIMED AT: Referring to at least age (give a range), gender/s and wealth (WAG!), clearly state who this will be aimed at. Think carefully if you are targeting an older age group - will you be able to get a suitable model, and do you understand what works for that age range?

MY AD IDEA + HOW IT APPEALS TO MY MARKET: Briefly but clearly explain your ad idea, stating how this will appeal to your target audience. Include a description of:
MODEL/CHARACTER(S): The age, look, pose/action of the model.
SLOGAN: If you have several ideas make sure you note these, but highlight the one you like best! If you're including a secondary slogan (as we saw with the Pepsi ad) detail this too.
URL: What website address/es will you use? If you are including social media links/QR code, detail these.

WHAT MAKES MY AD IDEA GREAT!
In a nutshell, what will make your ad stand out from the many others we will see in December?!

STEP 5: UPDATING + APPLYING AD RESEARCH
Find/pick out any 3 ads which link to the market/product type you will be working on, and annotate (write on) these to indicate what aspects/strategies/ideas you will use from real ads. Remember that you could look through actual magazines to find these, you don't have to rely on a Google search!
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