AAF team reaches final of national competition

A team of Bellisario College students put together a Penn State first by advancing to the finals of the National Student Advertising Competition, conducted by the American Advertising Federation.

The annual competition, which started with 106 competitors, challenges teams to create a fully integrated communications program spanning paid, owned and earned media channels that is grounded in research and built on a strategic insight. All teams work on the same client.

The final round of competition with eight championship teams was conducted in late May in Salt Lake City.

The team, comprising of advertising/public relations students from the Bellisario College, advanced through the district competition and national semifinals to reach the national championship round for the first time since 2012. It’s only the third time in thehistory of such competitions that a Penn State team has advanced to the final round. A team from the University also reached the final round in 1997.

I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishment and the commitment to excellence each of them made. This is truly a great recognition for the Bellisario College and Penn State.

Dave Wozniak

“These students were focused on this campaign since last fall. They’ve invested count-less hours and have earned the success they enjoyed,” said Dave Wozniak, the Donald P. Bellisario Career Advancement Professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, who served as adviser for the 27-member team, which was structured like a communications agency. “I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishment and the commitment to excellence each of them made. This is truly a great recognition for the Bellisario College and Penn State.”

Deliverables for the district-level competition included two pieces. The first was a 12-page plans book that highlighted the research, insight and strategy and outlined the campaign’s “big idea,” plus specified a media plan and budget. Teams also conducted a 20-minute presentation, which was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session where students responded to a panel of judges.

Those things, which accounted for 35% and 65% of a team’s score, respectively, helped Penn State to a first-place finish in the district. At the semifinal level, conducted virtually, judges viewed a 20-minute video of the team’s presentation, followed by a Q&A session.

The structure of the national finals mirrored that of the district competition, and while the team did not place at nationals its success was an important high-water mark for the program.