Advertising Concepts

"PLAY"

In an age of screens, kids turn to their phones, computers, and tv for fun. But these media don't encourage kids to use their imagination and explore creative possibilities. Play-Doh has an opportunity to reach children by presenting the product as a creative material with endless possibility. In the same way that people have used Legos and Minecraft to create mind-bending creations, Play-Doh can position itself as the artistic medium of this generation. This concept for a Play-Doh ad campaign highlights Play-Doh as a creative medium by showcasing artwork created with Play-Doh. These advertisements, which can include print, billboard, and video, will transform recognizable artists and their works into colorful Play-Doh creations. Parents and their children will then see how these advertisements push the limits of what Play-Doh can do, and they will be inspired to create.

"What do you want to Leave Behind?"

This advertisement for the Mid-America Transplant Services encourages viewers to sign up to be organ donors. This campaign is both an experience-based advertisement and a video ad. In the experience portion, my team asked college students the question: "What do you want to leave behind?" These students then wrote down their answers on Post-it notes, and we talked with the students about their answers and about organ donation. We then collected all the Post-it notes and used them to assemble a heart. This heart, which included the question and all the submitted answers, was then displayed on campus. Additionally, I recorded this process on video and produced a video advertisement for this campaign.

"Find What's Right for You"

Guitar Center has a wide range of products for players of all skill levels, style, and instrument. This campaign uses unexpected pairings (like a hippy with an electric guitar or a rocker with a pink acoustic guitar) to show that you don't need to be a specific type of person to find what's right for you at Guitar Center. The radio ad below also makes this point by mashing together several renditions of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." The variety of musical styles played in the video reflects the variety of products that Guitar Center offers. This ad will end with the tagline: "Whatever your style, find what's right for you... at Guitar Center." 

"Too Close for Comfort"

This simple magazine ad for the National Safety Council warns the viewer of the danger of tailgating. The strategy of using overly tight kerning and leading to send this message can be used in a variety of print media.