Good Advertising Vs. Bad Advertising

I feel that this advertisement for Academy of Art University's open house is a good example of a well put-together ad. It's simple, only using two types of fonts and not going too overboard with any unnecessary additions. It gets straight to the point with the kinds of work they're showing in the pictures, and the overall color scheme is very eye catching. All in all, the advertisement is sleek, clean, and rather pretty in my opinion.

(pardon the crappy cellphone quality)

Don't get the wrong idea about me using this ad. I'm a pretty religious girl, and I have nothing against the item being sold in this ad, believe me. But personally, any kind of ad that looks like this is an automatic no-go in my book. They always pop-up in magazines, selling the most random things from baby statues to limited edition quarters. First of all, there's way too much text going on, which makes me want to skip over the ad completely. Just the ad itself is so unappealing. And that little "It Lights Up!" thing it has going on in the bottom left doesn't help.

Advertising Design

Art and design have always been a big part of my life. Both my father and grandmother are artists, so from the beginning, it's been one of my main interests. Growing up, I always thought of having a career in art. But going into college, I had my doubts and jumped from major to major, only finding myself back at art again. The reason why I want to take Advertising Design is not only because of my general interests in it (and love for art), but for transferring to an art school as well. I know this class will teach me a lot and enhance my skills as a graphic design hopeful.