Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Invent a product and pitch its campaign in this 3-week marketing and advertising program for middle school students at UCLA.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 for the instructor by students who took this course in 2026.
Course Description
Why do some brands stay recognizable even when the product, ad, or platform changes? Students investigate how marketing, advertising, and public relations work together to shape what a company offers, how it communicates, and how people respond. Familiar brands and commercials give the class a practical way to examine strategy instead of memorizing definitions.
Students apply the four Ps of marketing to a product, analyze logos and brand identity, and invent a product with its own name and visual direction. Advertising exercises explore attention, persuasion, slogans, and story-based messaging. Teams critique existing ads before creating a poster, video script, or jingle for their own campaign.
Public relations introduces a different challenge: protecting trust when something goes wrong. Students respond to a fictional company mistake, write a press release or social media post, and decide how the brand should address its audience. The final project combines the product, logo, ad, and PR plan in a full campaign presentation.
This three-week middle school program takes place at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The program is developed by UCLA and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery. It is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
What Will You Do?
• Apply the four Ps of marketing to a familiar product
• Analyze logos, slogans, brand identity, and advertising techniques
• Invent a product and define its name, audience, and visual direction
• Create a story-based ad as a poster, video script, or jingle
• Respond to a fictional brand problem with a PR message
• Present a complete campaign that connects product, advertising, and public relations
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how marketing, advertising, and public relations serve different purposes
• Apply audience, branding, and persuasion principles to an original product
• Present a campaign that connects a product idea, advertisement, and PR response
Students will leave with an original brand campaign, useful exposure to strategic communication, and a clearer sense of which creative or business roles they may want to explore next.
Why Marketing and Advertising Skills Matter
Marketing asks students to connect a product with a real audience. That requires more than a clever logo. They must think about what the product offers, how it is priced and presented, where people encounter it, and which message will earn attention. Advertising then turns that strategy into a focused piece of communication.
Public relations tests judgment under pressure. A response to a mistake must acknowledge the issue, protect credibility, and fit the brand’s voice. Together, these activities strengthen audience awareness, persuasive writing, visual communication, collaboration, and the ability to explain why a campaign choice makes sense.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and are curious about brands, ads, social media, products, or why certain messages capture attention. It is a strong fit for students who enjoy creative ideas, business challenges, writing, design, or presenting to a group.
Students should be ready to analyze familiar campaigns, invent a product, collaborate on advertising and public-relations tasks, and explain the strategy behind their choices. No previous marketing or design experience is required. A completed program application is required.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive