Examples of Outdoor Advertising

With such a short amount of time to produce a large amount of work the pressure is really on.

Check back in late March when we'll be updating you on the students progress during their live client presentations.

Yesterday the third year art directors were lucky enough to have a full day workshop with world-renowned advertising art director Alex Taylor.

Acknowledged as one of the UK’s most respected and acclaimed art directors, Alex Taylor has gained an international reputation for her prolific award-winning work in advertising.

Our students like to embrace all culture, from Shakespeare to internet memes.

They also like to celebrate when they hit a deadline and hand in for a competition.

Finally-

-and perhaps more than anything-

-they like to dance.

In order to be good at Creative Advertising you need to be able to construct a good argument. Constructing good arguments requires looking at things from all sides and only when you fully understand your subject can you create innovative and persuasive advertising strategies.

That's why the Creative Advertising course holds an annual Great Debate competition between the Level 1 and 2 students. The students have to know the subjects they will be debating inside out and be able to present an equally good case for and against their subject matter. The students don't know which side of the argument they will be promoting until they enter the 'debating arena' and only have a couple of minutes to compose themselves before the battle of minds begins. Preparation is key and the students that have done the most extensive research will inevitably progress the furthest in the competition.


The competition runs at a hectic pace with second years and first years squaring off against each other whilst the third years sit in judgement and decide which teams proceed into the next round. The questions range from the esoteric to the plain bizarre and a successful debater doesn't allow their personal feelings to enter into the discussion – it's all about creating the strongest argument.

After much heated debate thirty six teams were whittled down to just two, Joe Lovett & Becky Cartey Vs Harry Price & Alicia Job making up an all first year final. After a titanic struggle Joe and Becky emerged as this years Great Debate champions and will get the chance to defend their crown in next years competition.


All this debating is great practice for developing a sound advertising brain and keeps everybody sharp. Now, which is best, poster advertising or social media?

Over the past couple of weeks the third years have had two workshops with professional copywriter Roger Horberry. The first of the workshops focused on writing for brands via storytelling and the second was called 'sticky lines'.

Roger is currently co-writing a book with course leader, Gyles Lingwood, called 'READ ME - 10 lessons on successful copywriting for brands' being published by Laurence King Publishing in April 2014.

At Christmas each year we have a conundrum: we need to set some work for the students in the 2nd year that is beneficial to their education but also keeps them busy and allows them to do what they do best – make a difference.

So we set them a challenge. Go home and get your head around what your local community needs. Then, motivate people, bring them together in some way to take action to make the necessary difference.

We embrace success equally to glorious failure in challenges like this – the key was they worked to make something happen and told their story when they returned to University.

Whilst we'd love to showcase all of the work it seems more appropriate to just pick a couple of pieces which best sum up the feel of the brief.

So, take a break and spend the next few minutes taking in some work from Suzi Paddison and Stanley Bennett. Suzi took something on that she cared deeply about and made sure her voice was heard. Stan tackled something a little closer to home but did so in a rather marvellous way.

Enjoy!

We like to think it is a real test of character to send our students away for Christmas, safe in the knowledge that the very first day they get back... their assessment will begin.

Last week 2nd year students handed in a flurry of work for their formative reviews, giving us a chance to take a look and let them know how we thought they were progressing. (Very well, as it happens)

What's so good about these reviews is how open they are – not only can we see just how much work they have been doing but we can invite 1st year students in to let them see where they will be in a year's time.

It looks like we have a really committed 2nd year on our hands. Now for another term to turn them from 'pretty damn good' into 'frightening'!

The third year Creative Advertising students recently participated in an ambitious project to promote Market Rasen as a place for local residents to do their shopping. The Market Rasen Business Improvement Group (MR BIG) project is part of the national Mary Portas initiative to reinvigorate interest in the high street and get the public to 'shop local' again.
Back in January 2012 a team of dedicated citizens from Market Rasen set out to pitch for funds to the Portas Pilot enterprise and were picked as one of the initial towns to benefit from the scheme. The team managed to secure £98 599 to help promote and improve their town through various energetic and thoughtful projects, this is where the University of Lincoln Creative Advertising course comes in.

Sara Scott, who is leading the Portas Pilot project for MR BIG, briefed in a project to the Level 3 Creative Advertising students who were asked to promote the benefits of shopping locally to customers in and around Market Rasen. The students had a week to come up with ideas for advertising and innovative marketing solutions which were then presented to the course teaching staff. The proposals were whittled down to six teams who then prepared their work for presentation to the client.


The presentations were held in the Lincoln Hotel and the judging panel consisted of three of the course teaching staff plus Sara Scott and Jackie Smith - MR BIG Markets Director. The shortlisted students all gave confident, clear presentations of their work and conducted themselves in a very professional manner which was commented on by the assembled judges. The students who made it through to the presentation stage were, Matt Slee, Jenni McDonald, Chris White, Sophie MacDonald, Kwan Naruporn, Lucy Eldridge, Liam Nicholson, Lily Hurst, Wil Blackburn, Amanda Elvidge and Lily Peters.

After much deliberation and some difficult decision making the judges finally concluded that the work of Amanda Elvidge and Lily Peters was the winner. It was felt that the girls' idea summed up the benefits of shopping locally in the most concise and effective way by focusing on the personal touches you get from shopkeepers who know their customers. So well done Amanda and Lily!

The concepts have now been passed on to the MR BIG team who will develop the press adverts and posters with a local graphic design company in order to bring it to print ready status, all with the help and input of Lily and Amanda, of course!


This project has been the second 'live' brief that the University of Lincoln's Level 3 Creative Advertising students have worked on in the last month and it shows how professional and motivated they all are to produce such effective advertising when working to such tight deadlines. Projects like the MR BIG Shop Local campaign are a great way of preparing students for the rigours of working in an advertising agency and the Creative Advertising programme places great emphasis on realistic work situations, so it's very pleasing to see the students click into action when they need to.

It has been a rewarding experience working with dedicated volunteers running a project as deserving as saving the high street. We all wish the MR BIG team well with their cause and will be bringing you updates on Lily and Amanda's work when it goes to print.

The Creative Advertising course's Cabinet of Curiosities has been changed to show an intriguing selection of cycling magazines.



With Wiggo winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this week, we thought it was only right.