by Krista Pino
Daily Lobo
UNM students are looking to pitch their ideas to judges in a national advertising competition.
The American Advertising Federation's national student advertising competition is the only nation-wide college competition. More than 3,000 college students will provide a strategic advertising/marketing/media campaign for a corporate sponsor.
Olaf Werder, faculty adviser for Visionista, UNM's student advertising chapter, said the group is one of the most active student organizations on campus.
Werder said the team has developed a top-quality book similar to those used in professional advertising. He said this competition helps advertising students understand how the world operates.
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"This is an invaluable experience that students can't get in the classroom," Werder said.
This will be the second year UNM has participated in this event. In an inaugural appearance, UNM students finished at No. 5., missing the top four spots by a fraction of a point. Students began working on the competition last October when the AAF announced the client the advertisement will be designed around.
Throughout the rest of the fall semester, the students began doing research. The deadline for the plans book was March 31. The team will have a rehearsal on April 30, and the regional competition will be held May 1.
The judges will select a winning team from 15 separate districts and a wildcard team that will attend the national conference. Those teams will then meet at the annual convention in June in Dallas.
"I'm very confident we will do well," Werder said. "We have a good book and a good team. It comes down to the judges, their ideas and how good the competition will be."
Jacob Trudell, a team member, did most of the magazine ads. He attended the competition last year.
"It's an amazing experience," Trudell said. "It's a lot of fun."
There is no requirement to be a member of the team. Werder said it is a professional organization that he would love to see grow.
Students have individual parts in a group effort. He said the students brainstormed and developed their own ideas for the competition.
"I like to have a hands-off approach," Werder said. "I just told them to stay in touch with each other."
Since it is a voluntary group, Werder said it comes down to the passion of the members. He said UNM has had good luck involving interested people in the group.
During the competition, students will have the opportunity to meet peers from other schools who are undergraduates in advertising programs. Werder said the competition's appeal is that it is nationwide.
"We have good times," Werder said. "They work hard, but they know how to party as well."
