Project 6 Creating Advertisements

1. Introduction

Every business that makes a product or gives a service needs buyers. But buyers must first know that the product exists. Advertisements are messages that persuade people to do something — buy a product, use a service, or support a social cause.

Advertisements are of two broad kinds, based on the message they carry:

1.1 History of Advertising

Advertising is not a new idea. Long ago, India had town criers who announced important messages by beating a drum. This practice was called Dhindora Pitna. These criers told villagers about the arrival of merchants and their goods. This is similar to a person announcing something on a loudspeaker while moving around on a bike or auto rickshaw today.

The first newspaper advertisements in India appeared in the year 1780, in a newspaper called the Bengal Gazette. This was the first English language newspaper in India, published from Kolkata and founded by James Augustus Hicky. An early advertisement for the hair oil "Jabakusum" was published in this paper.

Many old forms of advertising are still seen today — door-to-door vendors ringing bells, hand-painted signboards and murals in markets, street plays (nukkad natak) and folk songs, and simple word-of-mouth advertising by small shop owners. Word-of-mouth advertising works well but usually reaches only people living nearby. As new media such as radio, television, hoardings, and now social media developed, advertisements could reach many more people, far beyond one locality.

2. What Will I Be Able To Do

By the end of learning this topic, a student will be able to:

• Identify the Imp elements of an advertisement.
• Identify the Imp selling points of a product or service.
• Design and make an advertisement to sell a product or a service.

3. What Will I Need

• Stationery material — chart paper, markers, glue, basic art supplies for making posters.
• A computer or tablet with internet connectivity.
• A camera, for capturing images and videos (a smartphone can also be used).

4. How Do I Keep Myself And Others Safe

• Always inform a parent, guardian, or teacher before visiting a small business, and choose public, well-lit places for talking to people.
• Respect the privacy and permission of small business owners before taking pictures or videos.
• Be mindful of cultural feelings, and show respect towards business owners and their work.
• Follow internet safety — do not upload, download, or share personal information without checking with a teacher.

5. What Do I Need To Know Before I Start

5.1 Types of Advertisements

Advertisements reach us through many different kinds of media. The main types, with common examples, are given below.

5.2 Elements Comprising an Advertisement

Advertisements are made carefully so that people remember them and build a connection with the product. This is done using a set of Imp elements that appear in almost every good advertisement.

5.2.1 Logo and Tagline / Slogan

The same logo and tagline are used again and again across different advertisements of one campaign, so people learn to connect the logo with that brand. This is called branding — creating a unique identity for a product or service. For example, the polio vaccine campaign used the same logo everywhere, even though the tagline changed in different languages.

5.2.2 Visuals

Advertisements are usually eye-catching, colourful, and attractive. Common visual elements include photographs, illustrations, human or animal figures, shapes, and the logo design. Text is kept short and is placed with care, and the colour of the text must be easy to read against the background. Visuals also try to create a "mood," such as happy, excited, or adventurous, through the choice of location, expressions of people, and colours used.

5.2.3 Audio and Audio-Video Advertisements

Radio advertisements use only sound, while television and social media advertisements use both sound and visuals. These advertisements often use music and jingles — short, catchy rhymes that describe the brand in a memorable way. Since viewers can get bored or irritated if an advertisement runs too long, these advertisements are usually kept short. This makes it necessary that the logo, visuals, and jingle are made very carefully within a short time.

5.2.4 Connect to Emotions

People remember things that touch their feelings. Advertisements are, therefore, made to connect with people's emotions by telling a small story — about families, friends helping each other, or something a person aspires for. This emotional connection helps people remember the product for a longer time.

5.2.5 Call to Action

Every advertisement is meant to make people do something. The call to action tells the audience exactly what they are expected to do after seeing the advertisement — for example, "buy now," "cast your vote," or "get your child vaccinated."

5.3 Finding a Client and Signing an Agreement

To make a real advertisement, a "client" (the business owner) is needed. First, a list of local small businesses is prepared — bakers, tailors, toy makers, hairdressers, fruit and vegetable sellers, and so on. After a business owner agrees to work with the students, a simple written agreement is signed by both sides. This agreement usually includes:

• Students can use photographs of the product or owner only after getting the owner's approval.
• Dates and times for meetings are decided together by the owner and students.
• Students share their progress and findings with the owner regularly.
• All interactions between students and the owner happen in the presence of a teacher or parent.

5.4 Understanding the Business and Its Customers

Before designing the advertisement, it is Imp to understand the business and the people who buy from it. This helps decide what to highlight in the advertisement.

5.5 Designing the Advertisement

Once the business is understood, the advertisement can be planned. Whatever medium is chosen, some elements — logo, tagline, and call to action — remain the same. Only the way they are shown changes with the medium.

5.5.1 Poster Advertisements

A poster is the simplest form of advertisement — it must convey the message at a single glance. While making a poster, a student should think about:

• A title that grabs attention immediately.
• Which visual elements will support the message.
• Whether photographs need permission or attribution.
• How to build an emotional connection.
• Which colours and design elements will make the poster eye-catching.

5.5.2 Digital Advertisements

A hand-made poster can be recreated using computer tools such as MS-PowerPoint or Canva. Digital tools make it easy to change colours, fonts, and layouts quickly.

5.5.3 Animated Advertisements

An advertisement made with animation or video needs a few extra elements besides the ones already discussed:

• Music and Sound: Background music or sound effects that make the advertisement appealing.
• Scriptwriting: The dialogue, voiceover, or narration used in the advertisement.
• Storyboard: A rough sketch of the Imp frames of the advertisement, showing the action or text in each frame.
• Design and Animation: Deciding which elements (text, images, backgrounds, jingles, music) are used, and what kind of animation (fade in, zoom, slide) is applied to them.

5.6 Reviewing the Advertisement

Before sharing the advertisement with the business owner, it must be reviewed. Some criteria used for review are:

6. Other Ways To Advertise

Beyond posters, digital, and video advertisements, there are other ways of spreading a message which can reach many more kinds of people:

• Nukkad Natak (Street Plays): A powerful way of advertising social causes, such as cleanliness or increasing school attendance. A script is built around the Imp messages that need to be shared.
• Braille Advertisements: Advertisements written in Braille help visually impaired people access the same information.
• Sign Language Video Advertisements: Video advertisements using sign language help hearing impaired people understand the message. It is also worth noticing whether signage for divyangjan (persons with disabilities) is available around us.

7. Think and Answer