Scranton Team Wins Award at Advertising Competition
Members of The University of Scranton’s COMM 460 course pose on stage at the National Student Advertising Competition. Having developed an entire advertising strategy over two semesters, the University’s team pitched their campaign to the corporate client AT&T. The University placed ninth in its district and won the Best Evolution Award. First row, from left: Elise Doherty, Erin McKearney, Mia Familetti, Tatiana Baide-Franco, Ava Aversa and Ferdinand Robles. Second row: Emma Hutzel, Caitlin Hannon, Dominic LoCascio, Grace Quick, Anna DiFiori, Claire Koscinski, Meagan McMahon, Liz Vander Neut, Dr. Stacy Smulowitz.A team of 14 University of Scranton students recently competed — and earned a “Best” award — at the National Student Advertising Competition, the nation’s premier competition of its kind.
The students in Professor Stacy Smulowitz’s, Ph.D., COMM 460 Advertising Competition course were tasked with researching, strategizing, campaign building and content creating for their client AT&T. The process played out over two semesters, culminating with a pitch meeting on April 11-12 at Pace University in New York City.
The Scranton team earned the Best Evolution Award and also placed ninth in District 2, a competitive field whose colleges and universities are from the northeast United States. Achieving such success requires extraordinary attention to detail and numerous tasks big and small, such as conducting focus groups and preparing a campaign plans book that was submitted to the judges who hailed from major agencies in the New York area.
“It is an experience like no other and is considered as intense as an internship,” Dr. Smulowitz said.
Scranton’s roster included the following students: Ava Aversa, an advertising/public relations major from Old Forge; Tatiana Baide Franco, an advertising/public relations major from Lake Katrine, New York; Anna DiFiori, an advertising/public relations major from Newtown; Elise Doherty, an advertising/public relations major from Havertown; Mia Familetti, an English and philosophy major from Dalton; Caitlin Hannan, an advertising/public relations major from Massapequa, New York; Emma Hutzel, a marketing major from Bethpage, New York; Claire Koscinski, an advertising/public relations major from Coram, New York; Dominic LoCascio, an advertising/public relations major from Monroe, Connecticut; Erin McKearney, an advertising/public relations major from Pearl River, New York; Meagan McMahon, an advertising/public relations major from Tuckahoe, New York; Grace Quick, an advertising/public relations major from Yardley; Ferdinand Robles, an advertising/public relations major from Old Bridge, New Jersey; and Liz Vander Neut, an advertising/public relations major from Exton.
The competition, supported by the American Advertising Federation, provides more than 2,000 college students the real-world experience of creating an entire campaign for a corporate client and panel of professional judges.
