Redesigned Advertisement in Photoshop

Prior to this assignment, we learned about effective ad layouts and were asked to find an effective and an ineffective ad in a magazine.  We shared these ads in class and then were instructed to redesign the poorly constructed ad in Photoshop.  The advertisement I reconstructed is for First Street Sun Lamps.  The original ad looked more like an editorial than an advertisement, as it had a large amount of copy and limited pictures.  I wanted to capture the reader through interesting visuals and easy-to-read text.  The top half of the advertisement shows a room with a blizzard occurring outside.  I learned how to drag layers behind each other in order to change the image behind the living room window.  The bottom half of the ad is a picture of two women sunbathing on the beach underneath the First Street Sun Lamp.  I used the large diameter setting on the brush tool to create a glowing image coming from the sun lamp and continued the light effect using the brush setting across the page so the copy would be legible.  This assignment was essential to this course because it allowed me to learn the fundamentals of Photoshop, which made later assignments much easier to tackle.     

Photoshop Assignment with Original Photography

The next project we worked on allowed us to combine our new Photoshop skills with original photography.  First, we were instructed to come up with several thumbnail sketches of potential ads and had the class critique our ideas.  The class gave me strong positive feedback on my idea of a “sexy secret agent” in a Gucci Eyewear ad.  The photo shoot took place in a bar in Ithaca, NY called Micawbers.  We set up the shoot using an omni kit and did the model’s hair and makeup.  After about 200 photographs and countless positions, we called it a wrap.  I uploaded the digital photograph on to my computer and opened it in Photoshop where I was able to edit out blemishes on the model’s face using the bandage tool.  Since this is a high-fashion advertisement I wanted the copy to be simple and to the point.  I imported the Gucci logo and created a text box for the rest of the copy.  The right half of the page was rather empty so it was the perfect place to put the copy in order to have a visually pleasing and properly balanced layout.  

Direct Mail Piece

By the time we started the direct mail piece, I felt pretty confident using Photoshop.  My direct mail piece is from MAC Cosmetics promoting their cosmetics line Viva Glam that supports MAC’s AIDS Fund.  With the purchase of two or more VIVA Glam products, the customer will receive a free make up consultation and application by a MAC make-up artist.  I designed the direct mail piece to open in a gatefold to make it a little more interesting than the traditional double-sided advertisement.  There is a code on the bottom left of the back cover that the customer must present in the store to redeem their free make-up session.  The purpose of presenting this code is so the advertising team can determine what addresses are most responsive to direct mailing and will continue to target them heavily.