Good morning, or is it afternoon?

I am fortunate enough to teach Advertising Message Strategy and to encounter excellent, highly motivated and creative students. Spring 2010 term has been especially gratifying.

The Absolut campaign has been one of the most creative, successful and long-running in the business. Some would argue that it rises to the level of pop art. Its flexibility to appeal to multiple audiences while remaining true to its core message also makes it an ideal classroom challenge. Can students rise to its level of clever ingenuity?

We read about the campaign, its origins and more recent creative executions in Absolut Book by Richard W. Lewis.

Then, I challenged the students to offer their own creative executions: witty ads that could extend this campaign noted for its longevity, irony, humor and grasp of the cultural milieu.

Target Audience: Men & women, 35-60, married or single, urban professionals, multiple ethnicity
Challenge: link product with compelling concept
Tone: sophisticated, witty

***note that any problems reproducing the students' ads resulted from the photographer's work alone.

Now take a look at only a few of my morning and afternoon classes' work & join me in my thanks to the students for raising the creative bar: