For the first time ever, Temple students on the National Student Advertising team came in second place in the district at the annual National Student Advertising Competition—only two points away from first. Temple has participated in the conference before but this was the best finish in college history. 

Each year, one client sponsors the event and students are asked to create its campaign. This year, the client was Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, and students were given a hypothetical $5 million dollar budget to create a campaign to reach millennials. The team traveled to New York City and competed against eight other schools, including Pennsylvania State University, Ithaca College, Pace University, Rowan University, Baruch College, St. John’s University, Le Moyne College and Manhattan University. 

Advertising professionals from agencies like Cramer-Krasselt and Leo Burnett judged the competition and each school’s campaign.

“These undergrads are getting high-level training that typically professionals receive,” said Advertising Professor Joe Glennon.

Students participating in the competition are part of a two-semester course at Klein College. The first semester consists of research and planning, while the second semester course includes the creative component. This year, three students participated in both the research and creative courses.

Now alumni, then-seniors Finnian Saylor, Kristen Willie and Paula Cuerquis presented a 20-minute pitch in front of hundreds of professionals and fellow competitors. 

“I was one of the ‘leaders,’ I would call it, so it was easy for me to transition into the spring and carry along the ideas developed in the fall,” Willie said. ‘It was really cool to be able to take all the research and hard numbers and create all of these beautiful executions from what was once just words.”

“All advertising majors are allowed to apply for the courses, but you have to be selected. It’s a highly competitive selection process and we pick the best of the best in the program,” Glennon said. 

Dana Saewitz, chair of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations [https://www.facebook.com/TUAdvertisingandPR/], described the pitch as “absolutely professional-caliber. It was strategically smart, creatively excellent and beautifully written and designed.” 

One of the judges was blown away, remarking “One day, you guys will be our bosses.”