Final Advert One

Below is the the final piece for ad one.

Final Treatment

Below is the final/second treatment of mine and Cilia's coursework. We made changes to the way we worded things and completely changed two paragraphs to match our new storyboards.

Treatment 2

Exploring our coursework

The idea Cilia and I have created is an advertisement for mints, aimed at our chosen target audience of people aged between 15 to 25. The mint is targeted at both genders which is portrayed in our advert through the use of a couple and by having both girl and boy taking the mint in at least on of the adverts. We have targeted this audience by having themes that they can relate to, and linking the mint to people who are young and outgoing. We knew beforehand that mints were always being advertised on TV, yet none of them focused on the time in which it took a mint to work, therefore we created our own unique selling point, which was that our product works the fastest when you need it most.



Our first advert will be set in a living room in which the couple are first introduced. We want to have a couple throughout all three adverts so that when people see the couple in our advertisement campaign they will immediately associate them with our mints. We have tried to make the advert funny through the dialogue and actions of the characters. The advert begins with a long shot of the couple on the sofa, and the boy smells something nice and says: ‘Something smells nice around here.’ The girl, and the audience, will believe that he is talking to the girl therefore we have used a close up of the girl flicking her hair and feeling flirtatious. Next, we decided to include humour by making out as if the boy is going to hug the girl but instead picks up the cat and says ‘wow, you smell so good.’ For this advert, we have decided not to make out that the girl has bad breath, this will come to the audience’s imagination once she has taking the mint. After this, the girl will be in a bad mood due to the lack of attention that she received, however the mood changes immediately with the catchphrase ‘Shake, Click, Fresh, Ahh’, being narrated over the shots of her movements as she takes out the mints, shakes the packet, clicks the lid open, tastes the freshness, and then is satisfied with the end result of the product.



The second advert is aimed at the younger boundary of our target audience; it revolves around a young couple in which there is an awkward moment between the pair when the girl rejects his kiss, once she smells his bad breath. We considered using time reversal to show a before and after sequence however this could potentially be too complicated to present, and it would be very repetitious to repeat the sequence. Therefore we have decided to show this in a different way by showing how the boy is rejected when he hasn’t used the mints, and then after taking the mint he can get close to her again. We wanted to include this because it is something that our target audience can relate to and it will also continue to add humour. We are going to use a variety of shots to introduce the characters and make the audience feel involved in the action so that they feel the mint will affect their lives too. All of the shots will be either mid- close shots, to extreme- close ups, which will create the effect of a real advert. We have chosen to include more close- ups when presenting the mint, as well as in the other two adverts, so that the audience are focused on the product.

The third advert revolves around the couple meeting the parents. We have chosen to use this idea because almost everybody will face this type of experience in their lives at one point, therefore using this but adding a humorous twist will appeal more to our target audience. There will be more dialogue in this advert than the previous two, but because of this we have decided to make the dialogue funnier. At the start of the advert the couple arrive at the parents house and the boy is feeling really nervous and says things such as: ‘I hope your parents like me’ which will avoid the audience from being confused by making them understand what is happening at a very early stage of the advert. Awkward moments is key in this advert because it helps add to the humour, therefore we included awkward moments when everybody bumps into each other as they go to hug and when the mother says: ‘Do you guys use protection these days’ which causes an awkward moment for the couple as they don’t yet know that she is referring to the mints. We again have our ‘jingle’ in this advert of ‘shake, click, fresh, ahh’ but this time the actress who plays the mother will be saying it.

Overall, all our adverts will have aspects of simplicity and humour because we feel that this will make the advert more memorable and will interest out target audience into buying the product. We also want to have parallel sound in all the adverts, which will be the dialogue of the characters, however we also want to introduce contrapuntal sound which will be part of a song that will be played in the background which will make it feel more light hearted. In addition the couple will be the same throughout so that they are immediately recognised. To end all the adverts, as well as form another link between them, we want to include an end screen which will have the mint on the side followed by a voiceover saying the words: ‘all you’ve got to do is shake, click, fresh, ahh’ (where the words will come up as they are being said by the voiceover) and ending it with out line of appeal of ‘get fresh breath fast when you need it’

Advert 3

For the final advert, there is a significant amount more dialogue between the characters, which has caused worries between myself and Cilia. The reason for this is because when uploading thoe footage onto the mac's, the sounds for each clip merge into one another. If this is the case once uploading the final advert, we would have to search each sound to match each clip. Although this isnt a big problem, we are reaching the final week of our deadline and will need as much time possible to edit. In addition to this, advert three is the only advert which includes a great amount of dialogue throughout, and the narrative of the advert depends on the dialogue for its intended effect of humour. Therefore the two of us hope the dialogue will work the way we want it.

Progress so far

Since the first stages of the my coursework set in September, I have made significant progress. The criteria for this piece of coursework is to create 'a series of three adverts', and so far myself and Cilia have fully completed both advert one and two. In addition to this, I feel we have met the guideline to a good standard. One way I feel progress can be seen is the improvements we have made on our second completed advert (ad 1), compared to the first advert (ad 2). This is because we were able to learn through our mistakes and gain a better understanding of using the equipment (adobe premier, camera), from experience. Furthermore, I feel if I had of chosen to create a music video, rather than a series of three adverts, my improvements wouldn’t have been noticed as much as it is one set piece.

With two out of the three adverts being completed, I feel the biggest aspect which has enabled us to keep on top of our work is strict time keeping and communication bearing our project on a regular basis. This is because without the determination to complete the filming within our shooting schedule, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable having little amount of time in the editing room, to turn our footage into adverts. Moreover, myself and Cilia found after completing the first advert, it only took one/two shoots on the next for the footage to be completed. This meant that we could spend the rest of our time editing the music and footage to a higher standard. However, on several occasions there were no cameras or tripods available for us to use. The solution to this was to spend our intended filming time, on the Mac’s editing.

One other way I feel I have progressed is my skills on 'Adobe Premier' and the video camera's. This is because within the first stages of production, I relied on the camera when filming. However now I am able to manipulate the camera in order to tell a story, and engage with the audience. Similarly, myself and Cilia are using a much wider spread of camera angles, as well as experimenting shot lengths and framing. Ultimately, through communication with Mr. Michie and ourselves, we identified with what shots should be included in our adverts in order to meet the codes and conventions. In addition to this, part of the coursework criteria was to show a comparison between each of the adverts, and I feel the two of us have done this successfully. The reason for this is because we have included the same 'memorable character' throughout- (the geek!) as well as focusing our adverts around the same couple, and putting them in different situations where our product would be needed.

Furthermore, in order to stay within our deadline and finish the final advert. Myself and Cilia plan on completing the filming within the next few days so that we have an appropriate amount of time in the editing rooms, without having to rush. Moreover, I feel it is necessary to put everything I have learnt this year, as well as Mr Michie and Mr Ford's criticism into the next advert so that our progress is consistent and we produce a high standard series of adverts.

The Advertising Process

From looking into what advertising is, my next step is to discover the marketing basics of being successful in the competitive envirorment of advertising.

-Review the fundamentals of targeting a buyer segment and marketing strategically to that particular niche. One example I have looked at is 'Guerrilla marketing'.
-Determine who my existing customers are, and define the target market I want to reach.
-Know what I am truly selling, once you determine the intangible benefits of my product or service, I will have a clearer sense of who else offers that intangible and what advertising approach and image I need in order to compete successfully.

Taking into account target market, sales message, images, and competitive environment, determine your underlying objectives in running an advertising campaign - objectives such as expanding the wholesale side of your business or developing a more affluent clientele.

Equally important, establish a realistic advertising budget. By rule of thumb, it should amount to three to five percent of your annual revenues, although you'll need to consider adjusting up or down depending on the extent and spending levels of your competition. This budget should cover any community sponsorships you may provide, as well as your advertising in newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, internet, on radio and television, by direct mail, and any other promotional avenues you choose.

Here are six guidelines I found related to developing an ad program:

Do your homework - start compiling your own ad file. Collect ads you like as well as competitors' ads to give you ideas. Read books on advertising.

-"Sell the sizzle, not the steak." The old rule about selling products based on the benefits and excitement they provide has proved true time and time again, so focus on your U.S.P. and on those intangibles that motivate human behavior and generate sales.
-Stick to your own image and personality; stay with the basics of who you are. Make sure that the personality and image projected in your advertising ring true.
-Work as a team. The best advertising results from a synergy of your expertise in your business and your ad specialists' expertise in advertising.
-Carefully explain your product, market, and goals, and let the ad people go from there to develop their ideas. Advertising is a give-and-take process, and both sides need to communicate and work together without dictating until the outcome feels right.
-Give each advertising medium you choose a fair test. Advertising rarely brings sales overnight. Run your ad at least five times - or at least two months in weekly publications - to test the market properly. Often, consumers need to get used to seeing your ad before they'll act on it. Results take time.
-Don't overlook current customers. Nobody sells you better than a satisfied customer, so in your efforts to gain sales from new prospects, remember that you can build sales equally well through customer referrals and repeat purchases of existing clientele.
-Maintain a mailing list and, at your earliest opportunity, start producing sale notices, newsletters, catalogs, or other goodwill and sales-generating materials for current customers. Some of these items lend themselves to a direct mail campaign targeted at new prospects as well.

Below are some of the advertising pitfalls which need to be avoided:

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to good advertising is excess. Ads can end up so crammed with ideas and features that they appear dense and uninviting. If over-designed, they can be more artistic than motivational, obscuring the sales message. If over-written, they can become too subtle or cute. Certainly, some of the best ads ever created are clever and visually arresting, but good ads must also sell. Similarly, selling points may over-promise. Use "largest," "best," and other superlatives only if you can back them up. Avoid any claim that could be construed as deceptive.

In addition, make sure the overall tone of your ad is upbeat and appealing. Emphasize the solutions you provide, not the problems you address. Get outside opinions on your new advertising concepts to be certain they carry the personality and message you intend.

Client Led Advertising

Client Led Advertising Selection is employed when a client requires niche skills, multiple hires, or a senior member of staff. We often recommend an advertising or marketing campaign and are able to advice on target media and manage the campaign from the production of the advertising to response screening.
A client is a paying customer regardless of the initial contact of either party. It can work either way, but the theory would lean more toward the advertising agency contacting them first. Advertising agencies have to advertise to get a client, therefore initial contact will more than likely be initiated by the advertising agency through ads or cold calling.
Even if the client bought a magazine and saw the ad for a good advertising agency and then called them, the client still would have been communicated with first.

Summary of my work so far...

Below is a summary of where me and Cilia are at so far, the improvements we have to make, and what we plan to do for January...

To me it feels that myself and Cilia have created an effective first advert which is ready to be presented.  However, there a certain aspects of our piece which need to be altered in order to suit the final draft.  In terms of footage we have completed all of the filming, but there is one shot where the shadow of our tripod is apparent.  This is the shot in which the geek walks over to the bench to sit down with the girl.  The solution to this problem is to use a shot we already have from the re shoots.  This means that we were only a hot away from meeting our deadline!  As well as the shot we need to replace for the 'shadow one', the soundtrack and voice over needs to be improved on our advert before we hand in the final draft.  This is because once the voice over starts, the music volume level drops a considerable amount which doesn't sound effective.  This means that we will have to higher the voice over volume and make a smoother transition between the soundtrack and voice over.

Our plan for January is to start filming advert one and three.  In order to do this we are going to manage our time so that as we come to finish the first advert, there are rough cuts which we can start editing for advert three.  The process of filming the last two adverts will be easier for us because they are both shot in the same location.  This means that in january we can make a good start on the rough cuts of the first advert, and finish the second advert completely.  Moreover, I am planning on finalizing the soundtrack before we come to the end of editing.  This is so that we have no trouble in meeting the deadline, as this was our draw back in the first advert.  Furthermore, the voice over will not be a problem within the next two adverts as we will be using the same voice throughout the series of our three adverts.

Re- shoots for first advert

This week we have re- shot another two shots for advert 2. (couple on the bench) We need to shoot the very end shot of the advert where the couple embrace in a kiss/hug after the geek has taken the mint. This portrays the effects of the mint and shows a confident, happy boy/couple. The other re-shoot is when the boy is entering the shot. We have already done a re-shoot for this, however the shot was not effective because their heads were cut off meaning that the shot didn't really have any real purpose, we are therefore going to re-shoot this as a long shot.
In addition to this, we are planning on starting advert 1 next week (couple and the cat.)
We aim to get a couple of shots from the beginning of the advert, and perhaps make a start on advert 3 (couple meets the parents) in order to have some rough cuts of the two remaining adverts. We plan to do these shots this week, mainly on Tuesday 2nd December during our morning frees as these are the days when everybody is free and it won't clash with any other events happening that week. We are going to do the re-shoots first as this is a priority for us to complete this advert and get it out of the way. However, it will not take long to do the final 2 shots for this advert, so we will have enough time to start on the other two.