Academy of Finance Students Take Next Step in Designing Ads for Businesses

A class of 9th through 12th grade Academy of Finance (AOF) students at moved a step closer Monday to designing actual online ads for actual businesses.

The fourth annual “Design an Ad Program” , when students in high school teacher Brian McCarthy’s Intro to Business class received basic instruction on creating compelling and effective advertisements and met with their assigned businesses, or “clients,” for the first time.

The aim of the program, started by AOF board member and business performance advisor Margaret Maclay and AOF program director Linda Farrell, is to provide the AOF students with real-life, hands-on experience in media and marketing by teaming up with local businesses to see an advertising project through from concept to completion.

Maclay called Monday’s session—the second of three during which the students meet with their local business clients—“exciting.”

“Each team met with their client to review the first round of ads,” Maclay said. “We got to see them both in hard copy and online. Some teams consolidated the best parts of each submit to then work on for the final submission next week.”

Maclay added, “The room was really buzzing.”

She said McCarthy provided each team with a feedback form so they could take notes on comments from their clients.

Questions included the following:

• Which of the three ads submitted do you like best and why?
• What worked well?
• What did not work well?
• What are the key changes that need to take place?
• Rank overall satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5.

The next step for the students is to apply the finishing touches to the ads, Maclay said.  

“Next Monday, [May 21], the teams will have final meetings with their clients,” she said. “The clients will select the ad for publication. The class will then vote on their favorite ad and discuss aspects of what worked well and what didn’t.”

Maclay also reiterated the key aspects of creating compelling ads:

• Keep it simple
• Highlight the benefits of the product or service
• Use a compelling visual to draw in the reader
• Remember the call to action

Participating this year are Diane Homer of Kidsville News, Michael Lettieri of Cartridge World, Leo Ranieri of Massage at Work, Ranee Weinstein of the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce representing the Chamber's involvement in the and Maclay representing Women Inspiring Women.

Patch will be in attendance for Monday’s final meetings and post the student-designed ads after their May 25 deadline.