S. Scott Whitlow

Dynamics of the frame in visual composition

The position of an object within a visual composition produces an effect on the observer. Does an observer see the object as strong and active if it is in the center of the picture, in one corner, “floating” off-center? Does the framing of the object or the field surrounding it give an object more meaning? Forty-four college students rated six framed, black-andwhite, single-object pictures. The 264 observations were subjected to principal axis factoring, resulting in four dimensions: activity, potency, evaluative, and verticality.

Rehearsing Campaign Planning at the Start of the Capstone Course: The Inverted Case Study Approach

As they conduct the background research necessary to the creation of their own marketing campaign, students in the capstone campaigns course often find the first few weeks the least exciting and realistic of the semester. Layering a case study of a prominent campaign into this period adds back some of the energy of realism. A twist on the case study approach that requires the students to reverse-engineer the case campaign enhances their understanding and appreciation of the work they are engaged in for their own class campaign.

Role-Play Format Stimulates Interest in ad Ethics Course

A “market segmentation analyst” details the utility of stereotyping people in ads aimed at different market segments. A “creative director” argues that a 30-second commercial doesn’t permit character development beyond a stereotype. A “feminist” objects to the dominance of stereotypes which encourage perception of women primarily as home-oriented or sex-objects, documenting the objection with research data and examples.