Study Task 1 - Brief Selection - What's the Problem?

        Bearing in mind the criteria identified in the previous post, do the three briefs that I initially selected have the potential to help me achieve these aims?

• To what extent will the briefs allow you to achieve your criteria for success within the module?
• To what extent will the briefs benefit you with regards to the benefits of entering competition briefs?
• Any problems that you can foresee with the briefs in relation to the issues discussed in the session.

Save the Children 

• This brief presents a challenge. I have never attempted a campaign before (in face in Applied Animation last year I actively shied away from the campaign option). It presents an opportunity to develop new visual communication skills, and figure out how to effectively convey complex messages in easy to understand ways.
• Due to the fairly vague requirements for this brief (the only specification is a 'creative resource') it is not the most obvious choice for my discipline, meaning that there may not be that many animated entrants. Hopefully this would help my entry to stand out.
• The aforementioned vague requirements mean it could be assumed that the company don't really know what they want, except to raise awareness of their brand and campaign.

Interflora

• Again, this brief is out of my comfort zone and different to previous animations I have attempted. It will be challenging and beneficial to me to expand my communication skills by raising awareness for a new secular holiday that neither I nor anyone I know has heard of.
• As Interflora would like 'highly creative ' ideas which are 'able to work across all channels of communication' there is the potential for there to be a incredible amount of differentiation between entries. Considering how my ideas will function across different platforms will also broaden my creative practice as this is not something I have previously considered.
• The brief is asking for quite a lot. The low public awareness of Grandparents' day creates added pressure (our responses must establish the ideals of Grandparents' day as well as Interflora's fairly extensive brand values) not to mention the need to overcome the potential for cynical backlash from an market already saturated with secular holidays.

Pan Macmillan

• This brief plays to some of my strengths. I enjoy working with character/storytelling. However, it is not a stretch for my skills, not a challenge, won't allow me to develop new skills. It is a safe familiar option (although the books continued popularity and numerous re issues might make it challenging to create original and outstanding illustrations. The fairly rigid demands (illustrations) are also not best suited to animation.
• Practically every illustration student across the country will be entering this brief. It is an obvious choice and will be very difficult to make your work stand out. Therefore, there is less chance of winning.

After reviewing these responses, I have come to the conclusion that the brief which would be the most beneficial to my development would be Save the Children's Read On. Get On. campaign. I then began to analyse this brief in greater depth.

1. What is the problem the brief identifies? Save the Children want to raise awareness & gain high profile support for their Read On. Get On. campaign, which encourages fathers to read to their children on a regular basis.
2. What is it asking you to do about it? Deliver a 'creative resource' which will inspire & motivate fathers (target audience) to read to their children for as little as 10 minutes per day, The 'creative resource' can take any form.
3. What is it trying to achieve? Increase the amount of time dads spend reading to their children. Raise awareness that reading with your child for just 10 minutes a day increases their potential. Raise public profile of the issue. Raise awareness of Save the Children & UK child poverty. Get all children reading well by age 11 by 2025. LASTING CHANGE.
4. What is the message? Reading is the key to a child's future. Just 10 minutes reading a day with parents/grandparents (but especially dads) opens up a world of possibilities. The UK has a strong link between low pay, unemployment & illiteracy - reading well is the best way out of poverty.
5. Who's the audience? Fathers, particularly those with children under 11, and those from low income families, who are more than 3 times less likely to read more than once a week to a 5 year old than those from the richest families.
6. How will the message be delivered? In a fun, personable, enthusiastic & engaging way (through a 'creative resource' in any form). Be positive!
7. Who will benefit? The children, their fathers, but also Save the Children through raised brand awareness.
8. Can you foresee any problems? The message is quite complex, and they wish to achieve a lot. The brief is also vague, suggesting they are not sure what they want!