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YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE AN ADVERTISEMENT to promote the city of Lansing to MSU students

WHAT KIND OF PROMOTION?: YOU MAY USE ANY SORT OF VISUAL PROMOTION, AS LONG AS YOU FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OUTLINED BELOW. FOR EXAMPLE:

· A PRINT AD FOR A MAGAZINE

· A BILLBOARD

· STORYBOARD OF A SHORT VIDEO COMMERCIAL 

· A POSTER

YOUR CLIENT:  The City of Lansing

WHAT THEY WANT TO PROMOTE: Exciting MSU students to go and experience Lansing 

How you must do this assignment: 

USE FORCED ASSOCIATION : AS DISCUSSED IN CLASS, YOUR PROMOTION MUST FORCE TOGETHER TWO VISUAL ELEMENTS THAT NORMALLY YOU WOULDN'T SEE TOGETHER (LIKE THE PICTURE AND VIDEO EXAMPLES BELOW)

ALSO, AS PRACTICED IN CLASS, YOU MUST USE THE "PROMPT" WORD BELOW IN ORDER TO INSPIRE A SECOND LIST OF WORDS.

USE THIS PROMPT WORD:    "SAWING" (NOTE: YOU MAY NOT USE THE ACTUAL WORD "SAWING," OR ANY FORM OF IT, IN YOUR AD).

PART 1:  RESEARCH YOUR CLIENT 

TO DO:

· List TEN FACTS: 

· FIVE facts you found interesting about the city of Lansing that might appeal to students.

· FIVE facts you learned about students visiting Lansing. (don't just get opinions from your friends, look for articles, etc, about Lansing's attempt to lure MSU students there. 

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PART 2 MAKE A LIST OF WORDS INSPIRED BY THE PROMPT WORD

I have given you a random "prompt" word to use. For this assignment, it is "sawing." 

TO DO:

· List 20 random words  you can think of when you think of "sawing," such as "wood," "cutting," and "building.". (There! Here are three you can use already! :)

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PART 3 GENERATE FIVE IDEAS

Now, armed with what you learned from Part 1 and your random-word list from Part 2, use the forced association brainstorming technique to come up with unique ideas for your ad. This creative brainstorming technique is a way of bypassing your analytical, over-thinking, judgmental "adult" brain and reaching down to your creative "toddler" brain to come up with crazy ideas. 

TO DO:

LIST FIVE IDEAS: Write down five cool ideas for promoting the City of Lansing you came up with using the forced association technique (explained below). Why so many ideas? Because most people's first ideas are often pretty predictable and unamazing, as can be the second and third ideas. So, by coming up with lots of ideas (for whatever you're brainstorming) means there is a better liklihood that one or two of the ideas might actually work.   For each idea include the following numbered elements:

1. Which random word?: Begin each of your five idea's description with the random word that inspired it. (ie: Wood: ...)

2. What's the idea? Briefly, explain your concept for the advertisement, your overarching “Big Idea” that captures audience interest, influences their emotional response and inspires them to take action. (ie: What is your big idea? Why will it work to promote Lansing?)

3. How will you illustrate it? Describe what the promotion will look like visually. ie: (What's happening in the ad that people will see?)

WRITE FIVE SLOGANS :  Include a unique slogan for each idea . ("Unique" means  don't use a slogan that has already been used! )  HERE IS  A LIST   OF SLOGANS TO INSPIRE YOURS! 

Here's how forced-association works:  

1. Focus on the first word at the top of your list of 20 random words you wrote down from the word "sawing." (from Part 2)

2. With that word in mind, scan down each of the facts you learned (from Part 1) about Lansing and about student behaviors. As you think about your goal, to get students to visit Lansing, "force associate" that top word with each of your ten facts.

3. Does this first word, when combined with some fact on your list, inspire an idea to promote Lansing? Something that combines the two of them?

4. If not, move on to the next word on your list. (For example –and you can't use this one– your prompt word "sawing" might inspire you to think of the word "cut," which could inspire a slogan like, "Cut back on those boring days and nights. We've got it all in Lansing!" Then you illustrate this with an image of your choosing. You need to come up with five ideas like this.  Do you see how it works!!? Pretty cool. 

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PART 4

TO DO: 

· SKETCH OUT YOUR FAVORITE IDEA. Shoot a photo of it and insert it into a Word (or whatever) page and submit as a PDF file. 

GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW:

· MAKE IT LOOK GOOD: Don't throw it together, but it doesn't have to be a slick, finished product, either. A tight concept you might show the client  

· NO ORDINARY STICK FIGURES: At the very least, use the type of figure we drew in class, with a body and limb joints. (Here's a  link  showing how to draw that way)

· PHOTOS: You may use photos

· VIDEOS: Make a detailed storyboard 

· FULL COLOR: Do not sketch it in just pencil and scribble some pen color to look like it's colored

· SLOGAN: Design your slogan into the promo. Don't just tack it on the bottom as a caption

· THE CLIENT: Include the client's name in the promo with a link to their website

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TO TURN IN:

· YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AT THE TOP OF THE DOCUMENT. 

· Submit a PDF FILE that contains, in this order

1. Your list of 20 random words

2. Your list of 10 research facts 

3. Your 5 ideas for ads with their slogans.

4. A designed ad that is enlarged to a full page in your document.   (take a clear, legible cell phone photo of it and insert it)

Do not submit separate documents!!!

UPLOAD TO THE DROPBOX, "PROMOTION" 

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VIDEOS AND IMAGES TO INSPIRE YOU:

WATCH THESE FOR INSPIRATION AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN COMBINE TWO, UNRELATED THINGS AND MAKE SOMETHING COOL AND INTERESTING.

YOUR PROMO MUST DO THIS, OR YOU WILL  FAIL THE ASSIGNMENT. 

· Smart car computer game:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLCF54kXJrE

· Smart car parachuting,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mArHUkkTY50

· Police officers chasing crooks without cars (on foot) HILARIOUS.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcslnzq56Tk

· Coca Cola repurposing coke empty bottles.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46WX59wDB4E