• 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.

• Think of something that's really quirky about yourself, something that sets you apart. Do you collect comic books? Are you the only unicyclist on campus? Have you been a closet juggler since middle school? Are you the only one that you know who has lived through five surgeries before age 18? Do you have four toes? We guarantee there will be some quirky people in your class!
• List all the benefits of having your quirk. Have some fun with this. After all, this is advertising.
• Next, write a 200- to 250-word story, along with a headline, expressing your quirkiness in vivid detail.
• Now it's time to reveal your quirk or remain anonymous. Hop on blogger.com and create a blog that tells the world about your own unique quirk. That's right; create a blog dedicated to your very own quirkiness. You might even want to follow some of the tips in this chapter.
• Once you're done, track your blog for three weeks and keep blogging. Track how many posts you have each day. Are there patterns? Who is posting? What kinds of things do they have to say? At the end of three weeks make a list of all the branded opportunities that could be leveraged by people who share their particular quirkiness. You just might be surprised by how many others share your unique eccentricity.
• Share your findings with the class. Yes, you will have to reveal your quirkiness, at least to the class. If you like your blog keep it--expand it. If not, game over.

• 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.

• As a group brainstorm a list of emotions or feelings that you could experience from consuming a brand new energy drink.
• Now, split into two teams with a captain for each team. • Discuss what will be more effective in communications . . . communicating with visuals or with words.
• One team will defend words and other visuals.
• Each team reviews the list of emotions and feelings, and independently selects the two emotions that feel the most marketable.
• The "words" team write a headline for each of their two emotions. The "visuals" team sketch out two simple visuals expressing the two emotions they chose.
• Now each team tries to guess the other team's pair of emotions. See if any of the headlines and visuals match-up.
• Finish with a discussion of the power of words and visuals and the importance of the synergy between headlines and visuals.

Adapted from an exercise shared by Mike Cissne, Group Leader, Production, Bader Rutter.

• 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.

• Make a grid on the board with seven columns. In the first column make a list of big brands such as Aflac, Apple, Birkenstock, BMW, Chevrolet, Coke, Dell, ESPN, FedEx, GQ, Kashi, Marlboro, Motorola, NBC, Nicorette, Nokia, Starbucks, State Farm, UPS, Wii...
• Across the top row, above the next five columns list one of the five senses. In each of the next five columns note how one might experience each brand based on the five senses. How does Brand X look, feel, taste, sound, and smell? Leave the final column blank.
• Now, discuss each brand and list how consumers might experience the brand with each of their senses.
• After completing the entire brand list, return to the first brand, review the sensory aspects. Consider what already exists for them to experience and where there are sensorial opportunities? In the last column list nontraditional options inspired by the sensory list.
• Continue down the list and see how the senses can lead you to see options you might never have thought of before.

• Pick a topic or product or service--say, Hot Tamales. 
• Take the cube and toss it to a classmate. The first person that catches it looks at whichever side is facing up, reads it out loud, and then instantly responds with a word related to what they read. And example might be: "Associate it. Movies." 
• Then the cube gets tossed to another person. "Describe it. Wrapped in corn husks." Another toss. "Compare it. Hotter than Skittles." It flies all over the room, sometimes to a repeat person but eventually to everyone in the class. As the thoughts/ideas are shouted out, persuade your teacher to write them on the board. It's very fast, and all ideas count. 
• When you're done you'll have a long list on the board that you can then go back and sort through. Sometimes you'll find new angles. Sometimes you'll find patterns. Sometimes you'll find thoughts that can be combined. You almost always get a broader range of ideas. 
• It's a quick technique that allows you to look at your topic from six different perspectives. That may reveal new strategic connections and the One Thing and will lead to the perfect campaign.
• Now, individually, write a headline or tagline related to each statement. Along the way, you just might find the right headline or tagline.