Advertisement Collection

Objective:

The intent of the assignment is to make you more aware of the role advertising plays in the marketing process.

Directions:

This assignment requires you to collect three print advertisements from among all of those you are exposed to. You are to collect three advertisements. One of the advertisements should be what you consider to be an especially good ad (using your own criteria, such as well laid out, contains an exciting image, or is very professional looking). The second advertisement should be what you consider a poor ad, again using your own criteria (such as ads you think are obnoxious, sloppy or unprofessional looking, boring, or too busy). The third and final advertisement is to be one that you find especially interesting, creative, intriguing, or unique.

Advertisements can come from magazines, newspapers, or direct mail sent to your home. (But, don’t rip out ads in magazines in the library!) Pictures of billboards or business signs are also acceptable. The advertisements can be for whatever products or services you wish, such as toothpaste, tennis shoes, restaurants, churches, plumbers, cars, or stereo equipment. So that you can compare promotional strategies, you are to select all three advertisements from competing products (e.g., Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and RC Cola; or Lexus, Infiniti, and Jaguar).

Requirements:

This assignment requires you to write a short paper (3-4 pages, double-spaced). You should turn in the following:

(1) a description of the criteria (2-3 paragraphs) being used to evaluate the ads and a discussion of why these criteria were selected

(2) a discussion (3-4 paragraphs) identifying which ad is the best ad (your discussion should include how the ad stacks up against the criteria you have specified)

(3) a discussion (3-4 paragraphs) identifying which ad is the worst ad (your discussion should include how the ad stacks up against the criteria you have specified)

(4) a discussion (1-2 paragraphs) identifying which ad is the most interesting, creative, intriguing, or unique ad and why

(5) a discussion (1-2 paragraphs) addressing what you learned from doing this project

(5) a cover sheet, attached to the three ads, that identifies:

- your name
- the name of the three companies involved
- an identification of which ad falls into which category
- where you found each ad (include name of periodical, date, and page numbers)

Due Date:

The three advertisements and the paper are due at the beginning of class on <see course schedule>.