KIIT School of Mass Communication hosted a two-day workshop on Creative Aerobics, led by Dr. Arpan Yagnik, Associate Professor of Advertising & Communication at Penn State University, USA on 26th and 27th July 2024. At the outset, Dr. Yagnik emphasized the value of brevity in advertising, noting, “Advertising is the only job where they pay you more to write less,” highlighting the minimalistic yet impactful nature of the field.
Dr. Yagnik outlined the three core characteristics of advertising: it must be paid, non-personal, and have an identifiable sponsor. He illustrated the scale of the industry with examples like the Super-bowl, where a 30-second ad costs Rs. 58 crores. He discussed the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of advertising, which draws from fields such as economics, psychology, and neuroscience. Dr. Yagnik introduced creative aerobics as a method to unlock innovative thinking and problem-solving.
The lecture included a Q&A session where Dr. Yagnik shared his experiences with Sony’s campaigns for “Quantum of Solace” and “Saawariya,” and addressed issues like budget misuse in advertising. He also announced plans to re-release his book on creative aerobics with AI enhancements and recommended activities like Sudoku and reading “Alchemy” by Rory Sutherland and “Frenemy” by Ken Auletta to enhance creativity.
The first day concluded with reflections on seizing opportunities and the importance of maintaining ethical standards in advertising. The Advertising Club also held its first group meeting for the academic year, focusing on fostering creativity, ethics, and social responsibility. They set a goal to create an ad to be featured in “Ads of the World’s Student Section” within the year.
Day two began with a three-hour workshop on Creative Aerobics, involving 20 participants from various disciplines. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises to develop and break innovative ideas. This was followed by an Advertising Research Group discussion led by Dr. Sananda Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at KSMC, with Dr. Yagnik acting as an advisor. He advised students on the importance of qualitative and quantitative research in advertising, encouraged them to choose research areas based on specific brands, phenomena, and regional differences, and provided practical advice on collaborating with statisticians and leveraging the SMCR process.
The two-day workshop and discussions offered students valuable insights into the complexities of advertising and creative problem-solving, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge for their future careers. Prof. Himansu Sekhar Khatua, Director General of the School felicitated Dr. Yagnik, where Dr. Bidu Bhusan Dash, Acting Dean of the School gave welcome address and Dr. Rajeev Kumar Panda, Associate Dean spoke on various initiatives of the School.