ENGL1610 & MAR3324 - PQT Advanced Advertising Copywriting

Abstract

Course Description: What does it take to get a job as a copywriter in the advertising business? A good book, for sure. The “book” means your portfolio, the spec ads that you’ll need to show to a prospective employer. This course will be an intensive workshop devoted to further exploring what it takes to get your print, TV, and digital/new media ideas whipped into shape and building upon principles learned and discussed in ENGL1600. Creative case studies will be analyzed and discussed in both oral and written form with hopes that these will inform students’ ongoing work. Note: For portfolio to be in presentation shape, student should be prepared to work on the “art” side of the ad as well, doing a semi-professional job in Photoshop (or some other graphics software), with her own hand-drawn artistic ability, or by enlisting the art talents of a fellow student. Course Goal1: For students to get a more in-depth understanding of how to write smart, fresh advertising copy. We’ll do this by first dissecting and evaluating print, TV, and digital/new media advertising. As we analyze case studies and understand great campaigns, we’ll undertake the challenge of coming up with a benefit or promise that drives compelling creative work. Objective 1: Through exposure to good (and bad) advertising, students will get a clearer perspective on what it takes to write effective, and, we hope, entertaining and/or intriguing ads. Course Goal 2: To develop a quality portfolio, or “book” of ads. Towards this end, we will have a presentation night during one of our last classes, with, I hope, professionals from the advertising business offering thoughts, advice, encouragement, and critique on the current state of your book. You will be asked to assemble your ads in some coherent form (ideally, in a website format) for an overall grade (which will be a composite of all the “ad pros” comments). Objective 2: Through weekly presentations, and student and teacher critique, students will aim to produce ads and develop concepts that, with revision and some artistic enhancement, will be presentation ready. Content/Concept and Skill Goals: As students study and then understand how to make ads that accomplish the task of getting people interested in a product, service or message in a creative manner, they will improve their abilities at accomplishing that goal for themselves or in a team setting.