COPYWRITING ADV 124                            

Dr. Cecelia Baldwin

Spring 2008

Office Hours: DBH 125 – Monday and Wednesday from 2:45-3:15 and Wed. from 2:45-4:15.   I will also have email hours from 10:00-12:00 on Tuesday and Thursday.  Students are urged to contact me if they need assistance via email at ceceliabaldwin@gmail.com.

OFFICE - 125                    

Office Telephone - 924-3266 (email is preferred)

Overview: You will be learning the creative development of strategy used in persuasive writing and expanding your writing capabilities and talents.   This course is aimed at developing creative language through analysis of products and services to determine a strategy through a unique  selling proposition, as well as through product positioning.  Conceptualizing techniques will be used in the practice of writing and visualizing integrated and complete communications.

You will be using various layout formats to execute your advertising.

3- FOLD PURPOSE

This course is divided primarily into three parts.  The first is strategy formulation.  How do you arrive at an appropriate advertising strategy for your product?  Where does the USP fit into the strategy?  I will be assigning strategies, we will be creating strategies as a group, and you will be creating strategies individually towards the end of the semester.  Specific techniques will be observed and practiced.

The second part deals with conceptualizing.  What is a concept?  What makes an ad conceptually strong?  Specific conceptualizing techniques will be taught and used in this very important  part of creative development.

The third part deals with the execution and the creative articulation of the concept.  Different writing techniques will be used for both headlines and body copy.  We will be writing in class and out of class.  Many of you will find that the more you learn about writing body copy the better your headlines and concepts will be.

Along with the above goals, the following student learning outcomes are incorporated in the class:

-Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of groups in a global society in relationship to communications.

- Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information.

- Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity.

-Think critically, creatively and independently.

-Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work.

-Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve.

-Critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness.

TEXT:  

Copy Workshop Workbook (latest edition- text can be an early addition if you make sure to revise assignment chapters numbers etc) by Bruce Bendinger

Reference texts:

Moriarty's Creative Advertising

James Marra’s Advertising Creativity

Ogilvy's Confessions of a Advertising Man

Ogilvy on Advertising

Maxine Paetro’s “Getting Your Book Together

Reference publications

Adweek  http://www.adweek.com/

Ad Age  http://www.adage.com/

Communication Arts

Print

www.adbusters.com

Advertising Notebook:  Every few weeks students must read one article in one of the above publications.  The article must be about a specific ad or a specific campaign.  Copy the article. Write a summarizing statement  (a few typed paragraphs) and include the ad or a copy of it with your statement.  Also be prepared each week to discuss article and ad.

This will serve to keep us current, help us to spot new trends, understand marketing strategies and to give a forum to ethics in advertising.

WEEKLY TOPICS: Tentative schedule

First Session:  Syllabus

Ethics - Proactive

Tell the truth p 374 (in Chapter 24)

Week two

History of advertising

Print:  Creating “THE BIG IDEA”.  

Creative Process.  It includes  four stages analysis, incubation inspiration and verification.  Analysis, or the poring in of everything you can learn about the topic and then organizing that information into workable cohesive units, will become the basis for the strategy and creative development.

Begin conceptualizing techniques.

Finding info about product assignment

Chapter 1-History

Chapter 2 Current Events

Chapter 4-Psychology: How to have an idea

Week 3

Conceptualizing techniques.

Chapter 5-Zen Copywriting

Chapter 7 How to Copywrite

Week 4

Transitions

Scanning patterns and basic layout techniques.

Sequential writing in accordance with visual scanning patterns.

Chapter 6-Art Director Appreciation

Week 5

Chapt 3 Biology

Writing specific strategy for advertising, including market research, consumer trends, unique selling propositions, product life cycles, defining competition.

Week 6

Chapter 8 Discovering the Objective

Chapter 9 Strategy

Week 7

Body copy, various techniques and basic writing styles.

Chapter 13 How to write with style

Week 8

Chapter 14 Typing and Typography

Chapter 15 Print Principles

Week 9

Websites - web handout

Week 10

Websites -

Week 11

Radio.  The visualization of language.  AM and FM,  using radio station image to control market.

Test Review

Chapter 16 Radio

Week 12

Test

Week 13

Television commercials

Chapter 21  - Tune in to TV

Week 14

Television commercials

Chapter 22 - Types of TV

Chapter 23 - TV production

ROUGHS AND FINISHES

Most  projects will go through a rough  stage and a finish stage.  The roughs will primarily be used for critiques. You will receive a grade of unacceptable, acceptable or well done.  If you receive an unacceptable or do not turn in roughs when they are due your final letter grade will be marked down one letter grade.  An acceptable grade will not affect your final grade and a grade of well done will reflect positively in the final graded finish.  The finish project will be typed in the format that has been instructed for that project.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Approximately every two to three weeks we will have critiques in class of "roughs".  Work due for the critique must be turned in on time.  Critiqued work will be averaged into the final grade given for the "finish" assignment.  If the "roughs" are not critiqued on time the finish will automatically be reduced by one letter grade.  All finishes must be turned in on time.  If you miss a deadline for a finish assignment, you can only turn it in for credit at the end of the semester (last Monday before exams) for partial credit.  If you have one assignment late it will be reduced one grade.  If you have two assignments late, they will both be reduced two letter grades – three late – all three graded down three grades, etc.  Late work will not be graded before the end of the semester.  

The only exception to this is if you have a documented (health center – doctor – not your Mom) medical or emergency arise. Leaving an assignment at home etc. is not an excuse, but do let me know if this has happened.

COPY EVALUATION

Strategy is clearly stated.  Fulfills objectives of the assignment.  Research complete.

Contains information (USP), clarity and unique presentation.

Is grammar and spelling correct?

“Copy voice” is suitable tone to subject matter.

Are all units integrated in terms of style and message?  (Headline, subhead, body copy, tag line)

GRADING FOR COPYWRITING

Sample of Criteria Evaluated

CONCEPT

Presentation format _____

Overall concept____                        Subject of visual____

Headline interest____                        Interaction of visual

Visual interest_____                        with headline_____

Positioning of visual______

BODYCOPY

transition sentence____                        language interest____

appropriate format_____                        SPELLING _____

tone____                                (1 errors=no higher                                             than a B, 2-3 errors no

mechanics (grammar)____                        higher than a C, 4 -D)

Finished projects can be redone.  They must be turned back into me within 2 weeks from the time they were handed back in class.  The two grades will be averaged for a final grade.  The re-graded projects may not be graded until the end of the semester.

I will also re-evaluate finish projects because sometimes there may be a mistake I've made, but, I reserve the right to also re-evaluate negatively if I have given too high a grade on a project.  This should be done in my office hours.

ALSO REMEMBER, IF YOU MISS A CRITIQUE YOUR GRADE AUTOMATICALLY GOES DOWN ONE LETTER GRADE.  CRITIQUES CANNOT BE MADE UP.  THIS APPLIES TO IN-CLASS CRITIQUES AS WELL AS ROUGHS THAT ARE TO BE TURNED IN.

We will have about six or seven projects.  Grade percentages will be approximately:

        6 projects -60%

        exam - 10%

        Outside of class exercises - 10%

        In class exercises - 15%

        Class discussion/interaction/cooperation - 5%

Please turn off your cell phones during class.  I think it goes without saying, but no calls are permitted during class. No calling in the classroom before, during or after class. Don’t leave during class without permission. Be on time!  If you are not here when work is returned, it is not the professor’s responsibility. If class is missed, it is not the professor’s responsibility to get you the assignment. I keep back work but it will not always be available at all times.

PLAGIARISM POLICY

The San Jose State University policy regarding plagiarism and

academic honesty can be found in the University Schedule of Classes and the

University Catalog.

Plagiarism is defined as the act of representing the work of another as one’s own (without

giving appropriate credit) regardless of how that work was obtained and submitting it to

fulfill academic requirements. Plagiarism at SJSU includes but is not limited to:

1. The act of incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs or parts thereof,

or the specific substance of another’s work, without giving appropriate credit, and

representing the product as one’s own work, knowingly or unknowingly.

2. Representing another’s scholarly or artistic works as one’s own.

Plagiarism is not acceptable. The instructor will discuss any instances of suspected

plagiarism with the student involved and apply appropriate sanctions. Evidence of

plagiarism may result in course failure as well as expulsion from the program and

San Jose State University.

DIFFERING LEARNING ABILITIES

It is the policy of San Jose State University (SJSU) that otherwise qualified students who have disabilities shall be given academic adjustments and auxiliary aids as necessary to ensure access to all SJSU services, programs and activities. SJSU accommodates students with disabilities on an individual basis, based on their specific needs.  SJSU will timely provide academic adjustments and auxiliary aids to students with disabilities as, necessary to ensure access to all SJSU services, programs and activities. These accommodations may include extended time and/or alternative formats for exams, readers, library assistance, interpreters, notetakers and additional time to complete assignments. Accommodations will not be provided if they fundamentally alter the nature of the program. Students requesting accommodations are encouraged to identify their needs as early as possible to the Disability Resource Center.