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Students use creativity to develop ads for Kelowna businesses

Aberdeen Hall Preparatory students are designing ads

Aberdeen Hall Preparatory students are getting hands-on experience in the advertising world.

Arts teacher Brent Sharpe’s Grade 4 and 5 students are designing ads for real companies around Kelowna.

“It gives students a practical or real-world method of the elements of exploring art,” Sharpe explained.

Now in its third year, the students are using elements they’ve learned in class like how to use lines, shapes and colour.

They come up with ads following guidelines laid out by the companies, he said.

Just under 100 students are designing ads for nine companies in the project.

“The idea that their artwork can get chosen and published and sent out to the community is an awesome experience,” Sharpe said.

The class also hones their researching skills by investigating each company.

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“These are actual ads, they learn about advertising, deadlines, fine print, there’s a lot of interesting topics they get to take on,” he said.

Some companies also don’t give outlines for the ads, so the students are able to explore their own ideas.

“But when they have criteria, it’s almost like a commissioned artist whose asked to design something specific so you get both sides of that art world,” Sharpe said.

“I’m always floored with their creativity.”

He said Jordans Interiors & Flooring has become a hit with the students, because of the colours and designs requested.

“Being our third year, we’re starting to see some patterns on the ones being picked,” he said.

His favourite part of the project has been seeing the students’ creativity, how they learn and blend different elements of other art classes they’ve learned over the years.

“At the end, we have some really good pieces of art,” he said.

@carliberry_
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com

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