Background
Advertising communication is a joint effort between various specialists.
The ‘artists’ – the Art Director (or AD) and Copywriter (or COPY) work together to come up with the advertising message. The AD deals with the visual aspect, the COPY with words and texts. The Layouter creates elaborate drawings based on the AD/COPY’s projects.The GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNER designs and creates leaflets, annual reports, posters, packaging, logos and websites.
Structure
Advertising at CAD is divided into 4 sections. The first year, however, is common to all and is a chance for students to approach advertising as a whole.Aside from design, students are also introduced to graphic design, multimedia, C.A.P. (Computer-Assisted Publishing), drawing and layout.
At the end of the fist year, they are able to choose, with help from their teachers and C.A.D. directors, what section they would like to attend.
Art direction & Copywriting
(3 years + 1 special year)
At C.A.D., artists – ART DIRECTORS and COPYWRITERS – learn to analyze a briefing and answer it creatively through words and images.
ART DIRECTORS gradually learn to express themselves through drawing, to master layout and typesetting so as to make their message attractive and effective.
COPYWRITERS must come up with simple and punchy phrases and write texts that are accurate and convincing at the same time.
* Students who chose copywriting before entering C.A.D. may go straight to the second year provided they have adequate prior training.
3 YEARS + 1 SPECIAL YEAR
The courses of design, advertising, radio spots, commercials, art direction, copywriting, alternative marketing, advertising strategy and retouching photos are provided by different specialized professionals.
AT the C.A.D, the future Art Director or Copywriter must be directly a professional. The school will gradually reveal his creative potential through projects similar to those he meets in his future career.
Theoretical concepts and techniques are acquired during each briefing.
The student will also, throughout his career at the C.A.D, create multimedia campaigns (360 °), radio spots, television commercials, on-line campaigns.
Final-year examinations
During his final-year, the student has to make an internship of 6 months (or 2×3 months) in an Advertising Agency.
After that, the student follows a course of four months to achieve a complete multimedia campaign graduation. He presents it to a jury of professionals authorized to issue him the degree of the C.A.D.
During this same period, he attended 160 hours of courses including business management courses in accounting, taxation, entrepreneurship, law …
Classes
YEAR 1
INTRODUCTORY COURSES: period of three months (October – November – December) during the students in interior architecture & design and advertising, are following a series of common courses:
- Study of shapes
- Drawing
- Observation drawing
- The creative process: sources and resources
- Photo
- Artistic culture
- English
- Analysis and Synthesis
From January: students split up to attend classes in their own section:
- Advertising design workshops
- Designing techniques
- Typography
- Multimedia (Internet)
- Initiation to various advertising and internet cultures
- Layout (marker drawing)
- Drawing
- IT (C.A.P.)
- Production, manufacturing and print
- History of art
YEAR 2 & 3
- Advertising design workshops
- Creation of advertising campaigns with teams of professionals
- Designing techniques
- Art direction
- Copywriting
- Drawing – layout
- Rough
- 3D workshop
- Designing and writing radio ads
- Studio recording of radio ads
- Film Producing
- Web design (buzz and viral marketing)
- Advertising strategy
- Image processing
- Photography
- IT (C.A.P.)
- Artistic culture
- English
Note: from the 2nd year, some classes are taught in English. Provisions can be made, however, for students who don’t master the language well enough.
YEAR 4 or special year
- Complete final year campaigns
- Various seminars
- Work on the portfolio: improvement of campaigns + presentation
- Business management courses including courses in accounting, taxation, entrepreneurship, law …
Final examinations
At the end of the Special year, students present their two complete campaigns to a jury of outside professionals. C.A.D. degrees are granted by the jury.
Internships
1st year
- A two-week internship in a company’s commercial or marketing department during the Easter break.
2nd year
- 2 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break
- 4 weeks in an advertising firm during the Summer break.
3rd year
- 3 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break
4th year or special year
- 6 months in an advertising firm starting in July, after the 3 rd -year examinations. This internship can be broken into 2 x 3 and take place abroad. 4 months of courses.
Note: many students choose to travel abroad for all or part of their final-year internship as part of the “ERASMUS” program.