ADVERTISING COPYWRITING Fall 2006

COM 3302-102 RM. 208 Walker Hall T-TR 3:30-4:45 P.M. Instructor: Office Hours: Roger Bodo MWF 12:00 PM – 1 PM Rm. 125 Walker Hall 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Phone: 262-2481 TR 1:30 PM. –.3:30 PM E-mail: [email protected] Others by appointment

Course Description: Advertising Copy and Layout is a skills course focusing on the creative aspects of advertising. In this course, you will be part of a group who will select a local business or non-profit agency for whom you can develop pan advertising plan and advertising executions. Through this process you will learn how to research for information on both product and consumer and apply this information in developing campaign strategy. You will learn to write advertising messages for print and broadcast, design print ad layouts, and plan and prepare broadcast story boards. Internet advertising will also be studied.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of the course you will be able to effectively: Conduct industry, product, and target market research Select a local business for which to write ads Develop an advertising strategy and plan Compare and contrast various advertising and its effectiveness Identify advertising that properly executes an advertiser’s marketing strategy Write advertisements for selected media that execute your strategy and plan Create ad layouts, Radio scripts, and TV Storyboards and scripts Perform copyediting and copy fitting tasks Present your advertising strategy, advertisements, and related materials

Prerequisites: Com 2700 [Foundations of Advertising]

Texts: (1) Fundamentals of Copy & Layout, 3rd edition by Book & Schick (Rental Book)

Materials: You will need a USB Flash Memory Key (also called a Jump drive), as you will not be able to save data on the lab hard drives.

Page 1 of 6 Grading: (1) Class activities, both individual and group; quizzes 75-80% (2) 1 major group project 20-25% (3) Attendance and class participation (see attendance policy)

The final course grade will be determined as follows: All the activities and quizzes will be averaged into one grade which will then be averaged with test grades and the group project grade. The number of absences (see attendance and late work policy-page 3) will affect the semester grade.

There will be at least 3 quizzes and 1 test. Tests will be based on lectures, information and videos presented in class, guest speakers, student presentations, activities, assigned readings and handouts, etc. Missed tests will be made up during the final exam period.

Requirements • Work due on specified days is still due that day unless you have an excused absence. • Attendance during team presentations is required and counted as an activity. • Late work is generally not accepted. However, if accepted late, you will not receive full credit for it you will receive a reductions of 1/3 grade per day the assignment is late. • All work should be personally handed to the instructor, not turned in under the instructor's office door or in the instructor's mailbox. • Class attendance and participation will be counted in the course grade. • Guest speakers and field trips will count as activities for which you will receive credit.

Tardiness: • Students are expected to arrive at class on time and leave when class is dismissed. If you need to leave early, confer with the instructor beforehand. • Excessive tardiness will hurt your semester grade. Leaving early counts as a tardy.

Individual and Group Activities: We will do numerous activities in- and out-of-class. Some will be done individually, while others may be done in pairs or small groups. Field trips and guest speakers are considered as in- class activities for which you will receive credit.

Major Group Project: You will choose an area business or organization for which to develop advertising. Groups should have no less than three and no more than five members. Each group’s project will be presented on the day of the final. More information on the final project is attached. Note: Each group must choose a group leader and the group leaders of all teams will meet periodically as a group with the professor.

Page 2 of 6 Grading Scale

Your final grade is determined by the following percentage ranges * => A 93-100 => C 73-76 => A- 90-92 => C- 70-72 => B+ 87-89 => D+ 67-69 => B 83-86 => D 63-66 => B- 80-82 => D- 60-62 => C+ 77-79 => F 0-59 * Fractions will be rounded up or down to the nearest whole percentage number

Academic Integrity: Students are responsible for upholding the Code of Academic Integrity under the policies and procedures outlined in ASU's Web site. Violations of this code will be penalized. These violations include: cheating, falsification and fabrications of information, multiple submissions, plagiarism, signing another student in on an attendance sheet, and complicity in academic dishonesty.

Behavior: You are adults. I expect you to act like adults, having mutual respect for one another, tolerance of differing viewpoints and ideas, and joy in discovering new ideas and ways of doing things. In advertising, as in other creative endeavors, no idea is a bad idea and all ideas contribute to the winning idea, the breakthrough concept. Advertising, like life, is a team activity. No one stands alone or succeeds alone. When one shines, all shine. When the group shines, each person in the group shines equally as bright.

Attendance and Late Work: • Students are expected to attend each class meeting and must sign the roll sheet each class session. • Each unexcused absence over 2 (TR classes) or 3 (MWF classes) will result in a reduction of the student's final grade by one-third of a letter grade (3.3 % points). • If you will be or have been absent, you must submit a written proof of excuse. • It is particularly important to attend when working in groups. • Missed exams will be made up with the final exam.

Bonuses: If a student wishes to do extra work, develop a special project, or perform additional tasks related to the art of advertising copywriting, by mutual agreement with the instructor the project will be awarded bonus points (up to a maximum of 5) commensurate with the agreed value of the project. These points can be used to boost the student’s grade standing in the class, providing all other class requirements outlined in the syllabus are met.

Page 3 of 6 Advertising Copywriting Final Project The basic idea of the project:

Find a small business or organization in town which has been advertising already. This business can be owned by a friend, or a stranger. What you are looking for is a small business that has already advertised to some degree so that you can:

• ANALYZE what the business has already done in advertising and promotions • CRITIQUE what has been done • DEVELOP a new campaign • WRITE a new advertising and media plan for that business How to begin: Talk with the owner/manager about their business or organization: • Ask what merchandise or services they offer. • Determine what /who their competition is and where the competition is located. • Evaluate what they offer that is different from the competition. • Identify who are their current, target, and potential customers. • Consider to whom they target their ads. • Ask what they have done in advertising and promotions, and then evaluate it. • Ask what specific merchandise or services they have advertised and promoted, and why they chose those items. Also: • Be sure to look around the store to see the variety of products and/or services the business sells and how they are presented, displayed, or promoted. • Observe the customers. What are they like? What is their pattern of movement and reactions to displays and the sales staff? • How well do employees personify the precepts and image of the business?

Once you have gathered sufficient information, you are ready to ANALYZE and CRITIQUE the information you have collected. As you analyze the data, think, “How can we improve on what, they have done and are doing? What can we as advertising professionals offer them that will better reach customers and increase their sales and profits? What is missing? How can we help the business get the most out of the advertising resources they have available. For a way to address these questions and your tasks, see the attached form.

Some points to be sure to consider: Has the business been advertising and promoting their best features or items? What should this business be advertising or promoting instead of or in addition to what they've done?

Do they have a good idea of who their customers are and how to reach them? Is there are difference between who the customers actually are versus who the business thinks they are? To whom do you think this business should target their ads?

What media has the business been using9 Does it reach the intended audiences? What media do you think they should be using in light of the market you think they should target and the amount of money they have to spend?

Page 4 of 6 The Next Step: After you have completed research and analysis, the next step is to prepare a campaign for your business and write and design some ads for them. Following is the minimum of what you should turn in for a grade of "C":

Your typewritten copy platform and creative strategy I black and white newspaper ad, mounted 1 color full-page magazine ad, mounted 1 30-second television commercial script and story board 1 30-second radio commercial script Of course in the advertising world, a “C” doesn’t win the business. To earn better than a grade of "C" you will have to actually produce the radio and television commercials. You will also need to create a new logo for the company and/or produce additional print ads, outdoor advertisements, alternative media examples, and promotional items such as hats, t-shirts, posters, and point-of-purchase displays. Projects will be presented to the class during the Final Examination class time: You will receive 2 grades from this activity: One grade will be awarded for the campaign and plan book and one grade will be awarded for the actual presentation. NOTE: See the presentation critique sheet (item 10 on the course main web page) for a guide to presentation structure and sequence.

Tentative Weekly Schedule The calendar pages that follow constitute the schedule. This is a tentative schedule and may change due to inclement weather, class speakers, etc. Choose a person in class to contact for information about what transpired in any class you miss.

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Page 6 of 6 August 2006 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Click for: Policy on absences Resume Template(s) What's Due When List

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Week 1 Day 1 of Class Research: Ch 1 Assignment: This Week's Tools: NOTE: This is a Go to Library. Find Frontline Adv. Video Click for Syllabus tentative schedule. ------information on 1 Ad Collection of Ads Changes will be ------Agency and one of its In Class Activity: Form Features/Benefits Doc marked by a marker, Assignment: clients using the teams, select roles, fill such as this. Read Chapter 1 & 2 Redbooks in team form & name In Class Activity: Write a Pal Promo leader. 27 28 29 30 This Week's Tools: 31 Preparing to Write: Ch 2 <------in-class exercise: Writing The Ad: Ch 3 Don't sell me ____ sell me ------List of research sources and resources In Class Activity: ------____. TEAM: Select Local Pair up and write Click for Dr. Taylor's strategy wheel Business Assignment: headlines using form. Read Chapter 3 Assignment: Read Chapter 4

September 2006 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2

3 5 QUIZ #1 6 7 Headlines & Tag 8 9 4 DUE: Redbooks Lines: Ch 4 This Week's Tools:

Report Assignment - Mag India Holiday: ------False Ads (Parody) Assignment: - Ad Virtualities No Class Pick a product you will In Class Activity: Appeals exercise use for individual Copy Platform assignments and Assignment: Read Ch 21 - Word enter info into form - RTF

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Radio – Ch 21 RADIO Examples This Week's Tools: ______Sherfian Propositions ------TEAM: Local Bus. Assignment: What Makes Good decided on! Begin Read Chapter 22 Radio Article filling out Client Form

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Television - Ch TV Examples This Week's Tools: Assignment: 22 Write 2 Radio and 2 Assignment: RTF Radio Form Read Chapters 5 – 8 TV Commercials for 8.5 by 11 Storyboard your personal product RTF TV Form DUE: Copy platform using linked templates and assignment sheets

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Copy Editing – Ch 5 Copy Fitting – Ch 6 ______------Assignment: Ch5- 6 TEAM DUE: Read Chapters 7-11 New Client Report

October 2006 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Elements & Materials Illustrations – Ch 9 This Week's Tools: Chapters 7-8 Rule of Thirds DUE:

The Golden Mean DUE: 2 Radio & 2 TV 2 radio and 2 TV scripts Scripts

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 MID TERM TEST Review Mid-Term This Week's Tools: ------InDesign Demo ------In Class Exercise: - Spread Ad InDesign Practice writing new headline, text, and tag for ad.

15 16 17 Organization- Finish 18 19 20 21

Ch 12 FALL BREAK FALL BREAK

In Class Exercise: No Class No Class InDesign Practice Assignment: Read Chapters 12 - 13

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Newspapers – Ch 13 Classifieds – Ch 14 This Week's Tools: ------Spread Template In Class Exercise: In Class Exercise: Write Classified Ad Single Page Template Assignment: InDesign Practice NP Ad Terms & Sizes & Review NAB Book Read Chapter 15

29 30 31 Magazine Ads Ch 15 ------Assignments: Read Chapter 16 and Write 1Magazine and 1 Newspaper Ad

November 2006 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 3 4 2 This Week's Tools: B to B –Ch 16 ------Single Product print Assignments: Ad Copy Template Read Chapter 17-20 Retail Print Ad Copy Evaluate 4 B2B Ads 4 Template different appeals

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 This Week's Tools:

Direct Mail – Ch 17 Chapter 18 Out-of-Home Outdoor Info & Ideas

------(Outdoor) Web Banner Templ. DUE: 4 B2B Ads

Read Chapter 23

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 This Week's Tools:

Promos & Yellow Pages Internet – Chapter 23 DMA LINK

Ch 19-20 ------Outdoor Sizes/costs ------In Class: Group Work Assignments: On Presentations Outdoor Template Write 1 Outdoor, 1 Web and 1 YP Ad

19 20 21 QUIZ 2 & 3 22 Holiday 23 Holiday 24 Holiday 25 In Class: This Week's Tools: Group Work On Sample PPT Presentations Presentation DUE: Outdoor, Web & YP ad InDesign Brochure

Templates 26 27 28 29 30 In Class: In Class: Group Work On Group Work On Presentations Presentations

December 2006 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

On Finals Day you will make your formal presentation. You are encouraged to use PowerPoint to support your 1 2 talk, and may present your ads on screen, on boards, or both. Each person on the team should present, and each person should discuss the areas for which they were primarily responsible. REMEMBER: I will require a soft copy of all electronic elements, including the ads. You must turn in or have turned in your peer evaluation of team members and your portfolio to pass the class!

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Last Day of Class Note: TEAM DUE: FINAL EXAM : Plans Book - 1 hard Dec 11– 3 to 5:30 PM & 1 soft copy.

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