Course Code: ADV 1500
Academic Year: 2025-2026
This course examines the key role of strategic thinking in creating effective advertising. Students focus on the first step in the process before any creative work is done: the development of the creative brief. Students are taken through the basic elements used in all ad agencies' strategy briefs, learning how to create those elements through research, analysis and creative problem solving. Readings include the work of recognized advertising and marketing theorists, and case studies allow students to explore the relationships between business objectives, the market environment, strategic approaches and, ultimately, the creative execution. Students are introduced to research techniques in marketing and a number of tools to use through the course to help in the development of strong, effective strategies. These tools aid in business analysis, competitive analysis, definition of targets, brand positioning and the creation of messaging strategies.