SFA Ad Team wins top awards

SFA students who presented the award winning advertising campaign at the National Student Advertising Competition are, from left, Shannon Blow, Heather Scott, Bobby King, Conrad Aleshire and Travis Bruce.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University Ad Team won two top awards at the recent American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition in Shreveport.

Competing against 20 schools from five states, the SFA students won Best Promotion and the Judges' Special Recognition award.

Students from SFA's art, marketing and mass communication departments worked for two semesters creating a national advertising campaign for Nissan. They completed research, strategy, print, radio/TV, new media, public relations and promotions, media plan, budget, and evaluation components of the campaign. The 32-page plans book was submitted and judged in March, and the live presentations took place during the two-day AAF conference in Shreveport, La.

Team members Bobby King, Conrad Aleshire, Shannon Blow, Heather Scott and Travis Bruce presented SFA's plan before a panel of advertising experts at the Shreveport Convention Center. About 30 SFA students who helped create the campaign attended the competition.

David Murphy, co-president and director of strategic planning and integration for the national advertising firm Barrie D'Rozario Murphy, said the students' creation of "Dr. Nissan" to prescribe innovation for consumers was "funny," "cool" and "hip," and that the SFA team "owned the room from the minute they started their presentation."

Judge Luciana Gomez of Dieste called SFA's creative work "gutsy" and "edgy." Lynnae Hornbarger, who serves on AAF's Reno Board of Directors, said SFA gave an impressive presentation that made effective use of humor.

Sponsors of the SFA Ad Team are Nancy and David Gross of Rome, Ga.; Dorothy L. Bell of Walnut Creek, Calif; The Daily Sentinel newspaper in Nacogdoches; Cavanaugh's Jewelers in Lufkin; Martha S. Brewer of Eugene, Ore.; Mike and Sheri Cassin of Lufkin; Sheba Caldwell of Spokane, Wash; April Hough of Parkville, Md.; and Cathy Ries of Allen.

Faculty advisers of the SFA Ad Team are Michael Tubbs of the School of Art; Dr. Marlene Kahla of the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business; and Dr. Linda Bond of the Department of Mass Communication.