ADVT7509 Creative Advertising Development
Assessment #1 – Creative Strategy Analysis
Type: Report (Individual)
Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 2, 3
Weight: 25%
Word Count: 1,500 words (10% over/under allowable)
Submission: via Turnitin link on Blackboard
Task Description:
Creativity is the soul of advertising. Without creative execution no one will pay attention to the message and clients will not successfully sell their products or services or persuade people to change their behaviour. A creative strategy defines the important strategic choices required to develop and effectively deliver a targeted message to the desired consumer segment.
The creative strategy defines what you will say about your product or service and addresses how you want consumers to think about your brand. Developing an effective advertising campaign involves design of a strong message strategy, with ethical yet impactful advertising appeals and execution style.
In this assessment, you are required to select an existing advertising campaign* for a
product/service or behaviour and critically dissect the elements of the campaign, including the message strategy, execution style. and social relevance.
You will assess the goal, content, effectiveness and ethical dimensions of the ad/campaign and make recommendations as to how the design, elements, message strategy, integrity
and execution could have been improved for ad/campaign effectiveness.
A recommended structure for your creative strategy analysis is included in the following section, along with the marking criteria sheet for this assessment.
Suggested Advertising Campaigns
Below is a list of suggested campaigns which offer excellent insights into creative effectiveness yet have scope for critique and improvement. You are required to select one ad campaign from
this list for your analysis, however students are not limited to this list. You may select another
advertisement that better fit with your area of interest. *Note: content in the advertisement you
select beyond those listed below must all be in English and the product/brand needs to be familiar to the teaching staff. In addition, the campaign needs to have been in the market from present
time to past 3-4 years only (for example: July 2021-July 2025). It is recommended to select a TVC, multimedia or print ad to dissect and analyse. Ensure the 6ad’ is a paid advertisement and not just a promo video etc. on a brand website.
1. Tourism Australia – Colours of Australia
2. True or Gammon - Carbon Creative
3. Nihilent Limited – “Rewriting History: India’s First AI-Generated Campaign
4. Warner Bros.– “Barbie” Movie Marketing Campaign
Your critical analysis of the advertising campaign should be supported by insights gained from
secondary research and connections to creative strategy theory. In your analysis you are required to address whether you felt the campaign was effective/not (and why) in achieving advertising
campaign objectives and present recommendations as to how the creative strategy and execution could have been improved for greater effectiveness.
This is an individual assessment and as such, students should not work with/collaborate with other students in the cohort when working on this written report. The skills acquired from this creative strategy analysis will be built on in the following two assessment items.
The Creative Strategy Analysis report word count is 1,500 words (10% over/under allowable).
Reference list and appendices are not included in the word count. All submissions must be written in English.
Recommended Report structure:
1. Background / overview (10%): Who is the brand? What market are they in?
Who is the client/brand, where are they now?
What’s the big picture? What’s going on in the market and in the broader society?
What is the background on the product or service – when it was launched, unique features, competitive advantage? Who are your main competitors and why?
Buyer analysis (e.g., who buys/uses the product, who influences the purchase decision, when
Current/previous advertising.
Are there any changes or special considerations in the marketplace?
2. Campaign Objectives (5%): What is an objective of the campaign / purpose of the ad/campaign?
Outline (at least) one advertising objective for the ad campaign?
Where do you think the client/brand wants to be as a result of this ad campaign?
What does the advertising need to achieve?
Separate marketing-based objectives from advertising/communication-based objectives (make them SMART).
Do you think they want to create an image, change a perception, communicate information, launch a new product to market?
Your outline of the key objective/s for the campaign should be concrete, measurable and give a specific time period. Example: To increase brand awareness (e.g., up to XX% of the target in a year)
3. Target Audience Analysis & Insight (20%): Who is the intended target audience? Why do you think this? What is the key consumer insight?
Is there a particular segment of consumers that this ad is targeting? Who are they (and why do you think this?) Go beyond age and gender to include demographics and psychographics of the
intended target audience. Consider explaining how you think the target audience may currently
think/feel about the product/brand. As well as how they currently behave. Include a profile/persona of a typical target audience consumer.
What is the key consumer insight? (from secondary research) There may be many potential
consumer insights. However, focus on the insight that can be applied to your ad campaign. What is it that connects the consumer to the product/service/brand? The more precise and detailed the better.
The insight is the result of strategic and critical thinking that results in a key consumer insight that uncovers the reason why a consumer cares about a brand message. It is the basis for creativity.
4. Creative Strategy (20%): Analyse the message strategy, big idea and execution techniques used in the ad/campaign:
What is the message strategy? The message strategy is the “what to say”, the major selling point. What story is this ad telling (messages)? How do you know? (Text, images, etc.)
What is the Big Idea? Do they tap into a consumer insight from the target audience analysis? The big idea is that which brings the strategy to life.
What creative execution techniques have been used in the ad/campaign? [This is the ‘how to
say it’.] What type of appeal/s have been used? Was this approach appropriate and why (use
theory and your consumer insight to justify your reasoning)? What is the tone of the campaign and does it reflect the brand personality or the product positioning?
5. Ethical Considerations (20%): In this course, you are encouraged to reflect critically on the ethical responsibilities of advertising professionals in shaping culture and society. Creative strategy does
not operate in a vacuum; it reflects and constructs meanings about identity, community, and value. You are invited to bring your own cultural and experiential knowledge into your analysis, while also engaging empathetically with perspectives different from your own. Accordingly, as part of this
creative strategy analysis, you are expected to reflect deeply on the ethical dimensions of the
campaign you analyse. This includes examining who is represented, who is excluded, and how
cultural, gendered, and social meanings are constructed and communicated. Your reflection should
be grounded in an awareness of how advertising operates within global systems of power and meaning-making:
How does the campaign demonstrate ethical sensitivity and respect for its target audience’s cultural, gender, racial, and socio-economic contexts?
How does the strategy reflect (or ignore) social responsibilities and ethical concerns such as
environmental impact, representation including mental health and body image, or misinformation?
In what ways does the creative approach reinforce, challenge or avoid exploiting stereotypes, fears, or aspirational insecurities (especially among marginalised communities)?
How does the campaign challenge or reinforce dominant ideologies (e.g., excess consumerism, systems of privilege, beauty norms, heteronormativity)?
To what extent does the campaign reflect inclusive creative practices, such as the involvement of
underrepresented voices in concept development or execution (e.g., co-creation with underrepresented communities, inclusion of authentic voices, nuanced storytelling, representation behind the scenes)?
How could the creative approach be reframed or strengthened to enhance its ethical integrity and social relevance?
In what ways does the integration of AI in the campaign enhance or dilute the brand’s storytelling
authenticity, emotional connection with diverse audience segments, and cultural relevance—while
upholding ethical responsibilities concerning transparency, creative integrity, and audience trust across media platforms?
Critically assess how AI-driven creative strategies influence campaign effectiveness (e.g., engagement, conversion, brand recall), and examine how ethical considerations such as data usage consent,
algorithmic bias, authenticity of AI-generated endorsements, and regulatory compliance are integrated into the creative development and media planning process.
6. Campaign effectiveness (15%): Do you think the ad was effective? If so, why / why not?
Critically assess the overall effectiveness of the campaign in achieving its stated objectives,
considering both creative execution and strategic outcomes. In your evaluation, address the following dimensions:
Objective Alignment: Does the creative concept effectively address the brand’s stated communication
objectives and business goals (e.g., awareness, engagement, behaviour change, purchase
intent)?How well does the ad solve the brand problem or deliver on its value proposition?
Creative Strategy & Idea Evaluation: Analyse the strength of the “big idea” or creative strategy—was
it original, culturally relevant, and resonant with the target audience? Evaluate the clarity, emotional impact, and narrative structure of the execution. Did it connect with the audience on an emotional and rational level?
Audience Fit & Relevance: Was the creative tailored appropriately to the audience's demographics, psychographics, and media consumption behaviours? Were tone, visuals, language, and format
suitable for the intended audience segment?
Channel Execution & Integration: Assess how effectively the creative was adapted or extended
across various media channels (TV, digital, social, experiential, OOH). Did the media choices amplify the creative message or were there mismatches in platform/channel execution?
Effectiveness Metrics & Outcomes: Based on available data or case study insights, how did the
campaign perform. against key metrics (e.g., engagement, reach, brand recall, sales uplift)? Consider qualitative impact (e.g., PR buzz, social conversations) and quantitative impact (e.g., media KPIs, ROI benchmarks).
What recommendations would you make to improve the overall effectiveness of this campaign?
Identify weaknesses or missed opportunities in the creative idea, execution, audience targeting, ethical compliance or media strategy. Suggest specific creative enhancements (e.g., stronger CTA, refined
messaging, better storytelling devices). Recommend media planning improvements (e.g., better channel alignment, timing, or audience segmentation).
7. Presentation (10%) - Report professionalism, structure, and quality.
Tip: When writing your creative strategy analysis (critique), consider the tips below:
Select an ad you understand. This is advantageous since selecting something you
understand makes it simpler when you are critiquing.
Ensure you are familiar with the product/service or behaviour being advertised.
Describe the ad in terms of a broad overview/social context.
Intently study the ad and note everything that captivates you and captures your attention.
Develop an argument which you will later explain in your report.
Compose an outline using your responses to the questions in the recommended report structure, which will be your report’s prototype.
Discussion Board:if you have any questions in relation to this assessment item, please post these questions on the Assessment #1 Discussion Board and we will respond.
Report Submission Checklist:
o Title page (includes title of report, student name and student number, tutor’s name, assignment word count, Web Link to the advertisement. If you are working with a Static Ad, add a copy of the Ad Image to the Appendix)
o Table of Contents Page
o Page number is included as a footer on each page
o Report style format (with subheads, e.g. “1.0 Background”) is used
o 1.5 spacing, with 2.5cm margins recommended
o Use Times New Roman, 12pt font size
o Consistent style. and formatting throughout report, including headings
o Report is 1,500 words (+/-10%, references & appendices are not included in the word count)
o Referencing formats: either use APA 7th or Harvard styles, BUT ensure that you apply the format consistently throughout your report (in-text citations and in the reference list)
o Report has been proof-read, checked for spelling and grammatical errors
o Report has been self-evaluated against the accompanying Grading Rubric
o Report is submitted on time (* or apply for an extension through the Business School:click herefor extension request link, teaching staff cannot grant extensions)
o Similarity check (via Blackboard) has been reviewed
o Report is written in English
o You are expected to present an original analysis. Accordingly, the use of AI for purposes other than proof-reading, spelling and grammatical checks is strictly prohibited.