ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising
Kiley Fletcher
I remember my first day in Introduction to Advertising as a freshman. It was actually my first class of the week, so I started off my college career with this class. I looked around and saw hundreds of people who all shared something in common with me but were also completely different. One of the reasons why I love the advertising program at Illinois is because all of us use our unique backgrounds to come together and create great things. I was very excited to dive into advertising and what it’s all about, which is why ADV 150 is one of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken.
As an advertising major I was required to take this class, but I recommend it to all my non advertising major friends when they want a really interesting class to take. Steve Hall is a phenomenal professor and helps all of his students learn what aspects go into advertising. My favorite part of class was watching ad campaigns because you really got to see what the meanings behind these popular ads were. It was also helpful to learn about the different careers and positions you can go into with an advertising degree, especially since I was a nervous freshman who had no idea what I wanted to go into. This class really puts into perspective how much you can achieve in the future if you love what you do.
This class helped set the basis for what classes I wanted to take in the future and how I wanted to apply myself outside of school. I was able to meet other professors and students through this class who introduced me to clubs and internship opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t have heard of. Whether you’re an advertising major or not, this class is great for learning about how advertising impacts our world and how it’s in nearly everything we see.
ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising
Jaelen Lisberg
Coming into UIUC, being an advertising major, undeclared, or even just curious about the subject, ADV 150 is an excellent source, if you are looking to be filled in on the world of advertising. Typically taught by Professor Steven Hall, ADV 150 fills you in on the basics of numerous related topics such as account planning, media, brand promotion, and much more. Prior to Covid-19, there were two one hour and thirty-minute lectures a week with no discussion portion. In terms of workload, the amount assigned for this class is fairly light. There are chapter readings and assignments with spaced out due dates, along with a few midterms and light projects. Although this may sound like a lot to some, the work isn’t as time consuming as people may think and is very straightforward.
In terms of how lectures are run, they mainly include slides with video and visual examples. With video and visuals, students really get an understanding of how the things we learn during lecture look in real world scenarios. Professor Steven Hall does a very good job of carefully going over each topic with the goal of helping students really understand the material. Not only this, but he makes lectures interactive which help students stay focused and on track.
ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising
Komal Nagpure
Last semester I took ADV 150, which is called Introduction to Advertising. The course during a pandemic was quite different than how it would have been in a normal setting. Fully asynchronous, oftentimes, I fell behind and did assignments last minute. The class itself is structured with weekly chapter assignments given through the class textbook. On McGraw Hill’s website, you purchase a textbook for the semester and most of the learning and work is from that site. The material covers various areas of advertising, like integrated brand promotion, account planning, creative, media, research, consumer behavior, sales promotion and interactive advertising. We learned the basics of everything involving advertising and how it relates to society in cultural, social and ethical contexts.
Professor Steve Hall is one of the nicest professors I have had so far. He is quite passionate about advertising and calls it the ‘unknown major’. He holds office hours weekly and is always there when you need help or have any questions. Every week or two, he posts lecture videos and uses real world examples and UIUC to connect us more to campus. I distinctly remember, during one lecture, he used coffee as an analogy and talked about all the coffee shops around campus and rated them. Once coming on campus this semester, I went to Espresso Royale, which is one of his favorites, Caffe Bene, and Caffe Paradiso. Overall, I would recommend taking this class to any undergraduate student who is interested in advertising. More specifically, to take this in person due it being a more hands on experience. Professor Hall is also the advisor for AAF and is someone you should approach with any questions relating to the advertising industry as a whole.