Class act
Connecting the dots
ADV 4930 – Florida History of Advertising
Prof. John Sutherland, chair of the Department of Advertising
How would you describe this course?
It is a special topics class that fulfills our professional electives requirement. The focus is on the history of Florida advertising agencies, giving students the opportunity to meet advertising agency executives.
This is an exploratory course in nature. We are driven by the information we find and the new paths to which new discoveries lead us. When we offer a special topics class, we need to assure that the topic draws enough students to make offering the class cost effective. If the research proves fruitful and enough students are interested, we will offer the class again.
This special course gives our students, department and College a historical perspective on Florida advertising agencies and those individuals making significant contributions to the development of that part of our industry.
What does your class teach that students can’t learn in other courses?
Because the course requires students to develop profiles of major contributors to the development of Florida advertising agencies, the class gives the students the opportunity to communicate directly with leaders in the advertising agency industry. Students must identify and research the backgrounds of these executives. From there, students are contacting the professionals by telephone calls, e-mails and, in some cases, personal interviews.
What are your objectives for this course?
Our goal is to determine the feasibility of developing a history of advertising agencies in Florida, including access to major contributors and archival information, and to begin to gather the histories. The class gives the students a historical perspective of Florida advertising agencies and those who made major contributions to the development of the industry.
How or why is this course beneficial to students?
There’s nothing more beneficial than learning that the “advertising agency” business is built upon unique individuals with a passion for what they do. As students conduct their research, they gain insights into how agencies work as a business and the importance of the visions and drives of the individuals who make up the business.
How do you structure the course and what kind of assignments do you give?
The first part of the class is for students to determine the availability of information and to identify professionals who have made significant contributions. After we have identified the scope of our effort, students are given specific individuals and businesses to research.
Many of the students have already contacted members of our Gator Ad Board, our advisory council.
What is your teaching style?
Teaching style varies, in part, by the nature of the course. This course, given its exploratory nature, is more freeform compared to our core research class, which demands more structure. This class allows me to work closely with each student in creating tasks for the semester.
How has this course changed you?
I have gained a deeper appreciation of the efforts and visions of those who helped grow the agency business in Florida. For me, the class is similar to a picture puzzle. You know about the pieces, but when the pieces fit together to form a picture, you learn a lot.
This article was originally published in the Fall 2008 issue of communigator.
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