Get ready to test your ethical boundaries. Find six print ads you feel are "ethically questionable."

• Write up a one-page critique of each ad. Explain why you feel it is ethically questionable--focusing on the ad and not the product itself (i.e., not "drinking is bad and shouldn't be advertised," but "ads promoting alcohol should not target minors . . ."). Focus your comments on the target, placement, content, and so forth.
• Next, write a short survey. Poll 10 people from various backgrounds on the ads you found ethically questionable, but add in two neutral ads (ads that are not "ethically questionable").
• Write a summary of the results. Begin with a quantitative summary. Move onto to a commentary considering the following questions: Did the people you polled feel like you? Did you notice any demographic (age, ethnicity, gender, or income) patterns? What did you find that was surprising? End with a short reflection asking yourself: What kind of socially responsible person do I want to be? What is the advertising industry's responsibility? What would I do if I was asked to work on something I felt was ethically wrong or simply bad for society at large?

Adapted from an exercise shared by Kimberly Selber, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Texas-Pan American.

Whether it's an advertising copywriter struggling to nail that one perfect headline or a software developer searching for the next killer ap, there can be a method to the madness of creation. Like a jazz musician or an improvisational comic, this technique allows you to build off of ideas or themes and spin them into completely new directions. One thought leads to three. Those new three each lead to another three. And so on and so on. The trick is to not stop too soon. There will be time to edit, rationalize, and flesh out later.

• Your teacher will introduce a brand and note the objective at hand.
• Working in pairs or small tams, grab a stack of Post-it notes.
• Jot one idea down per Post-it note. Time is limited. You've got 15 minutes to post as many ideas as possible. Unlimit your thoughts.
• Review your Post-its and cluster them by concept. Pick your top ideas, using them as jumping-off points, and repeat.
• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
• One you've got three or four killer ideas, see which ones have legs using the same Post-it note technique to extend each idea.
• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Adapted from an exercise shared by Jeff Ericksen, Founder and Instructor, Ms. Coffmansen's Portfolio Finishing School.

Sometimes it's hard to determine the brand voice--a way to articulate a brand's personality. Here's one way to help understand how one brand's voice might stack up to its competition.

• Pick two competing brands--for example: Apple and Dell.
• Now select one student to draw two stick people on the board. Call one Apple and one Dell. Next generate a list of bulleted profile attributes next to each. Focus on demographics and psychographics (where they live, what they do, kids, income, hobbies... you know the drill). The idea is to sketch out who Apple or Dell would be, if each was a person.
• Next draw a speech bubble by each. Apple and Dell have just run into each other on the street. They know each other but are not friends. What might they say to each other? Fill in the bubble.
• Now for the interesting part. Give each one a think bubble. What are Apple and Dell thinking about each other--and can't or won't say? That's where you really get a picture of the brand as a person. This is a great way to make a brand real and get at brand personality. Fill in this bubble.
• Compare and contrast how each brand has its own personality.

Adapted from an exercise shared by Sue Northey, Vice President, Planning, Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, WI.