Students design Honda ad

Students at the Anderson School of Management are working with Honda to create an advertising campaign to sell real products to real-world customers.

Students from the Management 487 promotions class are promoting the new Honda Civic Coupe as part of their marketing campaign in a competition against 20 schools from around the country.

The top three schools get to present their campaigns in California to economists from Honda, and the winners will receive $5,000 for their school’s business program. Honda provided a $3,000 budget for each school to spend on the campaign.

Last week, Anderson students hosted the on-campus event, “Me and My Civic” which gave attendees the opportunity to design their own Civic Coupe at an interactive display.

UNM student Danielle Silva said the electronic design stations are just one portion of UNM’s student-made campaign, which targets a younger audience.

“What’s really cool is that some of the student-made ads will be displayed on billboards around town,” she said.

Silva said the event allowed students to explore the Civic Coupe for themselves, including new features such as Eco Assist, a system that helps drivers conserve gas and adjust their driving style for optimal performance, and Satellite-Linked Navigation.

She said she hopes UNM’s focus on high-tech marketing tools such as electronic media and the interactive displays will give it an edge over other schools.

“Our marketing techniques coincide with the car,” Silva said. “They’re innovative and cutting-edge, they’re up to date and current. You don’t see other schools using a digital board where you can create your own customized car.”

Twenty-eight students are working on the project, which began before the semester started. Anderson School of Marketing Student David Jarry said the program is about gaining work experience in the real world.

“It’s an opportunity to work in a real marketing setting with a nationally recognized company,” he said.

Silva said Honda is trying to attract Civic Coupe at the younger generation, one reason why the company partnered with UNM.

“What better way to advertise toward our generation than with our generation?” she said.