ADVERTISING UNCUT

PROGRAMME 4: MAKING THE AD

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.

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Before viewing

Discuss this question in groups:

Think of ads you've seen that use computer technology (CGI). Now think of one that you're sure doesn't use CGI. Which do you think took the longest to make?

Programme-related activities

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Telling a story in a commercial is shorthand for a much longer story. We are told that it is has to be perfect to work on this small scale. What are your comments about the making of the BT ad? Think about the team, the equipment and costs involved. What do the young people like about it?

Why was the O2 ad (15:07 – 15:38) so complex to make? Do you think it's successful?

Look again at this clip:

The Sony TV advert
Clip: 07:08 – 09:12

• In (narrator): 'The ad agency wanted to capture the essence of colour.'
• Out (Kate Stanners): '…and I just think stunning.'

What was involved in making the advert? How did the advertising agency pull it off? It has been called 'One of the best ads of the last 10 years.' Why do you think people say that?

Listen to the comments from the professionals. Why didn't they make it with computer technology? How different would it have been if they did?

After viewing

Having seen the ads that depend on CGI for their success (O2, carbot) and the ads that use people or live effects (BT, Sony TV), which do you prefer?

Look on the Fallon website for the 'Play-Doh' ad, the third in the Bravia trilogy, which uses stop-frame animation in a live location:
www.fallon.com

From all that you have learnt so far, work out what was involved in the making of it and give your opinions about it. Do you think it will sell more TV sets?