Creative Advertising BA(Hons)

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of advertising; exploring the steps involved when developing an advertising campaign and building a set of core skills as a professional foundation. Through workshops, tutorials and studio-based activities, you’ll build skills in art direction, copywriting, planning, pitching, and creative problem solving. You’ll also look at how research and insights underpin impactful campaigns, as well as the opportunities and ethical challenges posed by AI.  

Modules

Writing Studio

This module is all about understanding the mechanics of impactful writing. Collaborating with students from across the School of Communication, you will examine how language shapes the experiences of audiences across different platforms. 

Then, through practical tasks and workshops, you will develop tools and techniques that will build your confidence in writing with clarity, empathy, and purpose, helping you to craft engaging and persuasive stories for a wide range of different channels and contexts – from news and social media to websites and apps. 

Creative Problem Solving

Commercial businesses and non-profit organisations need solutions for all kinds of problems and challenges - from improving everyday products and services to dealing with the impact of new technologies, the climate emergency, diversity and social justice.  

During this module you will gain hands-on experience of creative problem-solving tools and techniques, learning how to collect information, discover insights, define problems and generate ideas to address problems in innovative ways. 

Design and Art Direction

What techniques and styles are used in the creation of ads? In this module you will get to grips with interpreting creative briefs, learning how to experiment with typography and layout to achieve different objectives.  

Through workshops and tutorials, you'll put these visual communications principles into practice, creating visual artwork in response to briefs and levelling up the standard of your work using Adobe software. 

Adland

The evolution and development of advertising is significant to aspiring creative advertising practitioners; you’ll explore its historical roots to its fast-paced digital evolution. 

Through a series of lectures, you will be immersed in the development of the industry throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, exploring the major concepts, people and campaigns that have shaped today's adland. 

Agency Life

Whether it’s a big budget TV ad or an eye-catching social media campaign, brilliant outcomes require collaboration between art directors, copywriters, strategists, producers and more – plus, clients willing to part with their budgets. 

Through a series of practical workshops, you will learn about the structure and workings of agencies; how long-term professional success relies on being able to reflect on your own practice, manage interpersonal relationships, undertake interdisciplinary collaboration and communicate effectively with both colleagues and clients. 

Strategy in the Age of AI

Since AI has arrived in the creative industries, tools and frameworks for strategising and planning advertising campaigns have shifted. In this module  

you'll delve into the strategic aspects of the creative process, exploring the research and insights underpinning campaign planning and decision-making. You'll also learn how to leverage AI appropriately and ethically through lectures, seminar discussions on case studies, and practical workshops. 

This year is all about starting to define your own creative approach. Applying the skills you’ve already learned, you’ll progress beyond ad creation to multimedia, multichannel campaigns. You’ll take a deeper dive into the inner workings of brands and develop important planning and research skills like data collection and analysis.  

You’ll develop advanced knowledge of behavioural science and psychology and how they drive social change. Responding to an industry-aligned brief, you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your ideas and potentially see your campaign idea go into production. 

In preparation for your future career, you’ll get to grips with the inner workings of the advertising industry. You’ll also hone your teamworking skills and deploy your visual and written skills for different media, as well as reflect on the implications and impact of new media. 

Modules

Social Media and Digital Cultures

Social media and digital platforms shape culture, identity, and communication. In this module, you'll learn to leverage each platform's unique features and possibilities to support your campaign objectives. Through lectures and case studies, you will examine how platforms influence everyday life, creative expression, and public debate, focusing on issues of algorithmic power, online communities and digital activism.  

Working both individually and in groups, you will be challenged to design digital-first tactics or campaigns, building a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to connect cultural insight with strategic platform use. Adobe sessions will help you prototype your ideas visually, while guest talks and lectures will explore how social and emerging media are reshaping the industry. 

Creating Brands

This module explores the role of brands in business and society, introducing their key components — from values, positioning, and personality to tone of voice and visual identity. 

You will develop the practical brand design and production skills that bring brands to life: branding tools, methods, and frameworks to identify cultural tensions and opportunities, and strategies for compelling brand-building.  

Alongside understanding how brands create value for businesses, you will discover how brands support innovation and drive change by challenging industry norms and engaging with social, environmental, and ethical issues. 

Behaviour Change for Good

Understanding human behaviour is crucial in the world of advertising. In this module, you will delve into psychology and behavioural research, learning how to gain insights, and using behaviour change frameworks to inform your ideas for tackling important social and environmental issues.  

Through a combination of lectures, practical workshops and tutorials, you will explore different research methods such as focus groups, interviews and observation to gain insights that can be used to inform a strategy or communication design intervention -- while also examining the moral and ethical considerations relating to behavioural research and the use of psychological techniques in communication and design. 

Campaigns

How do global campaigns connect across markets and major channels? In this module, you will be introduced to the nuts and bolts of brand campaigns, learning about the unique features of different types of markets and services.  

Responding to industry-aligned briefs, you'll collaborate with your peers to put the tools and tactics you've learned into practice to generate a portfolio of brand campaigns. 

Work Futures

Digital media and creative industries are changing fast. In this module you will explore the contemporary creative industries and develop the skills and knowledge to shape them.  

Through a series of guest speakers from our network of alumni and professional connections, workshops and seminars, you will build a toolkit for working life. Reflecting on pressing issues such as the gender pay gap, racism, socioeconomic inequality, burnout, remote working, and the role of AI and digital platforms shaping jobs, you will prepare to make choices that align with both your ambitions and the realities of creative work today.  

You’ll also explore the importance of creating a personal brand and professional network reflecting on your own position and values.  

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year.

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability Team. Most placement opportunities for marketing and marketing communications are based in cities like London, Bristol, Bath, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. There is also a small but mighty network of advertising, marketing and PR agencies in Devon and Cornwall. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying.  

How you’ll study during your professional placement

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks.  

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation.  

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Your final year is all about creating a standout portfolio that reflects your creative passions and professional aspirations. Underpinned by thorough research and critical thinking, you’ll produce campaign plans, pitches and digital content ready to launch your career.  

Supported by tutors, you’ll tackle industry-aligned briefs and enter global competitions which might include D&AD New Blood in London & Southwest Design + Digital Student Awards in Bristol. 

Modules

Major Project - Development 

You’ll research, plan and develop a self-initiated final year project based on a brand or topic of your choice. 

Demonstrating engagement with contemporary industry trends, debates and conversations, you will conduct a combination of secondary and primary research to identify findings or insights that can be used to inform your creative practice.  

Through masterclasses, seminars and workshops, you will study research methods that are relevant to your discipline and chosen theme. With formative feedback from your project supervisors throughout, you will learn to shape your ideas and research findings into a clear and focused proposal of work. 

Advanced Campaigns

Simulating the pace of a real creative department in an advertising agency, this module challenges you create a series of campaigns in response to industry-aligned briefs which have previously included clients like Greenpeace, Trainline, Adidas and Walkers. 

You will develop your skills and knowledge through group discussion and a range of practical workshops: you could either be researching a brand background with your team, interpreting market research, writing a creative brief, brainstorming early ideas or practising your client pitch. 

With the help of dedicated Adobe software sessions, you will learn to edit videos, record sound, design posters, or create interactive mock-ups such as landing pages for brands or mobile apps – and gain in-depth feedback from tutors on your work. 

Major Project – Showcase  

Placing your critical thinking and creative practice centre stage, you will create a thoroughly researched major project that establishes you as an expert in a chosen theme or sector.  

Through 1-to-1 sessions with your tutor, you will define and plan the appropriate project outcomes which will demonstrate how you have interpreted your research creatively.  

With the help of academic support sessions, you will also produce an accompanying written critical evaluation or rationale alongside your practical outcomes and prepare your work for public showcase whether in-person or online.

Industry Portfolio 

This module will enable you to develop a unique graduate portfolio demonstrating your experience, projects and skills to potential employers in an engaging, compelling, and portable format. 

You may work on industry-recognised competition briefs such as CIM Pitch, Creative Conscience, D&AD New Blood and AKQA Future Lions. You will also be supported by the university’s Employability team on the basic tools and skills needed to turn your passion project into a sustainable business. 

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route?

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree.

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject. 

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

This practice-based course mirrors life in a creative agency. You'll learn through crits, individual tutorials, peer group discussions, and technical workshops, while leading your own efforts in pitches and presentations. You may also benefit from guest lectures or take advantage of optional study trips.

A typical week begins with introductory workshops to creative tools and frameworks, then you will be given guided briefs to apply these tools. Directed practice and supervised studio sessions will be self-led; this will include working on your own practice, developing your projects, research and critical reflection.

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.

Assessment is based on a combination of: 

• 100% of your assessment will be coursework. 
• Practice-based modules will be assessed on the presentation of visual work, including sketchbooks to show process 
• Theory-based modules will be assessed on a mix of written reports or illustrated essays  
• In the final year, you’ll be assessed on your final year project and your portfolio - culminating in an exhibition of your final-year work 

You will receive feedback in a range of formats: 

• In-class discussion with tutors about work-in-progress 
• One-to-one tutorials with your module tutors 
• Informal group presentations 
• Group discussion and crits to get peer feedback on ideas 
• Academic support and feedback on written assignments are available in tutorials or with academic skills tutors 
• Asynchronous feedback offered through emails or ‘soft’ deadlines of practical work 
• Opportunities to get feedback from visiting guest speakers from industry or portfolio crits 

Equipment and costs

You will require a laptop for the course. Macs are preferred but a PC is fine. Costs range from about £400 to £1500. You will be using the Adobe Creative suite which as a Falmouth student, you will be able to access at a heavily discounted rate of £16.24 per month. You will also need a reliable broadband connection (if you are living in university accommodation you will have this). Some printing costs will be needed when setting up your degree exhibitions in the final year. This is likely to be £50-£100 depending on the nature of your work.

Study trips

All first-year students have a scheduled three-day study trip to London during which you will visit relevant companies. Costs will vary depending on your accommodation and travel preferences. As a guide, expect to pay about £600 for the whole trip, including food and socialising. In your final year, students may wish to participate in the three-day exhibition and festival event in London in July. Costs will vary depending on your accommodation and travel preferences. As a guide, expect to pay about £600 for the whole trip, including food and socialising.

Laptop (essential)

You will require a laptop for the course. Macs are preferred but a PC is fine. Costs range from about £400 to £1500. You will be using the Adobe Creative suite which as a student, you will be able to access at a discounted rate. You will also need a reliable broadband connection (if you are living in university accommodation you will have this).

Smartphone

Even the most basic smartphone with a working camera will be sufficient for you to experiment with expressing yourself and developing your narrative storytelling to supplement the use of the bookable resources.

Hard Drive

Hard drives can be borrowed from our Stores however it’s often handy to have access to your own to store and backup your work. Reliability is critical so we would recommend brands such as G-Tech or Lacie with USB 3 connectivity and ideally a minimum disk speed of 7200rpm (approx. £100).

You will be expected to work in all sorts of locations and weather conditions. It is therefore highly recommended that you come fully prepared with the right sort of personal clothing to protect yourself from the elements and to meet risk assessment requirements. This will set you up well for industry work beyond graduation too.

This list is not exclusive, so please use it as a guide; you should be able to equip yourself for the outdoors for approximately £150 (some companies offer student discounts so be sure to check):

• Waterproof jacket
• Warm headgear
• Strong waterproof boots/shoes
• Gloves
• Waterproof trousers (working all day in wet jeans is particularly unpleasant!)
• Warm/thermal top (and bottoms for good measure!)
• Mobile phone for emergencies

Typical Costs

Typical course material costs:

• £150 - Recurring annual costs may include printing and stationary.

Study trips:

There are several IFY field trips, and you will need to allow for some costs for student contributions towards coach hire and exhibition entry. Total annual cost of day trips approximately £60.

If you want to attend the planned IFY week-long residential trip to London in the Spring of 2026 then you will need to plan for a £100 deposit payment shortly after arriving on the course, to secure a place, and to budget for a total trip cost of approx. £400 - to be paid in instalments.