W
hat do you get when you take 14 creative minds, put them together in a room, and tell them to design an advertising campaign for a national company? You get results. You get awards. You get recognition. You get an amazing team representing an amazing Institute.
A
team of 14 students from the
Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU’s Meadows
School of the Arts won first place in the regional (10th district) division
of the American Advertising
Federation (AAF) 2006 National Student
Advertising Competition held April 27 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Praxis, Temerlin’s team, competed against 12 other colleges and universities in the
10thdistrict from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas – the largest,
and considered by many the toughest, region in the AAF – and will advance to
the national finals held in
SMU's Temerlin Advertising
Institute
Team Praxis
San Francisco in June.
For the competition, considered the “College World Series of Advertising,” each student team created a comprehensive $17.5 million advertising-centered communications campaign for Dallas-based Postal Vault Systems, this year’s sponsor. The company produces mailboxes with a variety of security features to protect against mail theft, a crime popular with identity thieves. Temerlin students won with their “It’s Safe in Here” campaign. At the national finals, team Praxis will present their campaign to judges from Postal Vault, the AAF, and the advertising industry in competition with other teams from across the U.S.
The Temerlin team boasts an outstanding record in the AAF competition; since the team’s first competition in 2000, they have won the regional competition in 2001, and the regional and national championship in both 2002 and 2004. “We’re extremely proud of our students, and the championships they have won reflect the extraordinary amount of work they’ve put in,” said Dr. Patricia Alvey, chair of the Temerlin Advertising Institute. “The recognition they have received in recent years is a clear indication of the caliber of students here, and of the program and its faculty.”
But their winning slogan, “It’s Safe in Here” speaks to more than just the competition. It speaks to our prospective students as well. Praxis’ success proves that the Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU is a safe and sure bet for students who are seriously considering a career in advertising.
With national successes, practically back to back, and heading into yet another national competition looking strong, advertising agencies, prospective students, and researchers have been flocking to our program.
“Our advertising students find themselves in a challenging, competitive environment that has only the highest expectations of its students,” said Tommy Newton, Director of Meadows Recruitment.
To balance the giant growth in interest, the faculty, under the direction of Distinguished Chair Dr. Patty Alvey, elected to place higher admissions requirements and become more selective in the internships disclosed to the students. Beginning in 2006, students interested in pursuing a degree through the Temerlin Advertising Institute will have to have completed both rhetoric English courses with nothing less than a B average, Survey of Advertising, Statistics 1301, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (expected to increase very soon).
Once a student meets this criterion, he or she would then sign up for the on-site written application which covers grammar, basic communication skills, writing and comprehension. The division would then consider students for admission in the program.
Students will now have the additional option of applying for the advanced Creative Advertising Program on top of the BA in Advertising. This structure is more competitive in higher education and follows more closely with the programs at the best advertising schools in the country.
Temerlin Advertising Institute wants to ensure that students in the program are driven, focused and qualified, and once admitted, guarantee the best opportunities. With classes capped at 20, our students get the one-on-one attention they need to really comprehend the material, and this is shown through their outstanding performance and track record,” Newton said.
This month, select students are traveling to New York for the One Club Show, the world's foremost non-profit organization for the recognition and promotion of excellence in advertising. A select group of U.S. and international schools will exhibit work from their top graduating seniors and the best and the brightest will have their work on display in the One Club gallery for public viewing. Many of our students are being considered and will have their works displayed. SMU is one of 24 schools this year from around the country selected to attend, and this experience allows our students the opportunity to present their portfolios to a large number of advertising agencies and professionals.
There’s no question about it. The opportunities the Temerlin Advertising Institute affords its students are among the best in the business. SMU has once again established itself among the world as a leading force in the current trends of higher education and proves for our current and prospective students, “It’s Safe in Here.”
Contributing Authors
Joe S. Hoselton, Assistant Director of Meadows Recruitment
Steve Landsdale, Meadows Marketing and Public Affairs Writer
Click for more information on programs within the Meadows School of the Arts