AFA LAUNCHES IDEAS BOOT CAMP

The Advertising Federation has developed a new course for Writers, Art Directors, Planners, Account Managers and Brand Managers, the ‘Ideas Boot Camp’.
AFA AdSchool Ideas Boot Camp is designed to improve the quality of thought that is put into the process and pursuit of great ideas. By disciplining, strengthening and ultimately raising the quality of an individual’s thought process, he or she will invariably become a far more professional planner, account manager, brand manager, writer or art director.
The lecturers are Alex Dobrochodow (top left), a senior writer and Hristos Varouhas (bottom left), Planning Director, BWM and winner of the 2006 APG Creative Planning Grand Prix.
The Boot Camp will be held over 4 intensive days at the Sydney College of Management, Manly, from 19 to 22 January, 2007.
Says Dobrochodow: “Our industry is rapidly shifting from ads to ideas. We can no longer exist on executions. We have to deliver big ideas that can be interpreted and integrated across a diverse range of established and emerging methods of reaching the target audience. We need to create Ideas Not Executions."
Varouhas added: “However, great ideas don’t just show up when they’re needed. They are the result of discipline, dedication and inspired professionalism. And the starting point of every great idea is a great brief. Unfortunately, that’s a principle that is practised far too rarely, by far too few people, because we seem to be driven by other priorities and pressures. That’s why the AFA commissioned to develop an Ideas Boot Campthat is based on planning principles.”
Over four, long, hard days, participants will be taken through the real life battlefield of developing a brief, providing relevant creative solutions, presenting and evaluating them. At the end of which they will have an unambiguous understanding of the principles and issues involved in delivering effective advertising solutions.
Central to the course are the three critical components to an effective solution being developed and implemented.

1: THE BRIEF
2: THE CREATIVE SOLUTION
3: THE EVALUATION

The Ideas Boot Camp is an AFA certificate course.
For more information, please contact either of the people listed below, or visit the website: www.afaadschool.com.au:

Helga Diamond, phone 8297 3800, email: helgad@afa.org.au
Hristos Varouhas, phone 8204 3800, email: hristosv@bwm.com.au
Alex Dobrochow, phone 0417 489 971, email: alexdob&bigpond.com