Advertising in action: what two AAF conferences taught me

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to travel with Augustana’s Advertising Developers (ADs) group to the National Student Advertising Conference, hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), twice now. Each experience has been a game-changer for my growth, mentorship connections and hands-on experience in the marketing world.

Each year, the AAF hosts conferences where college teams develop and pitch an advertising campaign for a real client. We spend time learning about the importance of research, marketing strategies and idea execution to build a campaign for the client.

Our team is pushed creatively, strategically and collaboratively to truly tell the client’s story through our marketing plan. We gain valuable industry experience by working on a real case study and presenting our campaign to judges and company representatives, all while still learning from professors and classmates.

The big campaign

The client this year was AT&T, and we were challenged to improve Generation Z’s perception of the brand using the slogan “Connecting Changes Everything.” Through research, we found that Gen Z values experiences, so we built our campaign around the idea that AT&T is there for life’s special moments.

We brought this vision to life through a variety of strategies, including a series of commercials focused on meaningful moments; AT&T’s presence at major events like music festivals; and experiential marketing ideas such as “phonetography” booths designed to encourage and capture real experiences.

We worked together as a team to generate ideas for the overall direction of the campaign and determine the best ways to bring those ideas to life. This is the stage where we applied much of what we’ve learned in class, including competitive analysis, audience segmentation and marketing plan development. These skills directly connect to my interest in a marketing-related career.

For someone excited to work in graphic design and marketing, this hands-on experience was incredibly valuable. Being part of the entire process, from initial brainstorming to building a full campaign, made it especially rewarding to see our final proposal come together at the conference after so many hours of work.

What was really cool about the process was seeing how much goes into building a cohesive campaign and balancing all the components. We drew on everyone’s individual strengths to work together as a team, and the result was a stronger overall campaign. I was particularly proud of our creative execution.

Knowledge I gained

I’ve gained confidence in not just marketing strategies but also collaboration, professionalism and creative thinking.

When I started college, I knew I was passionate about the arts and wanted to pursue a career in graphic design. ADs’ focus on mentorship and hands-on experience solidified my decision to attend Augustana.

I would encourage all students to get involved with ADs, whether it’s to gain career experience, pursue a hobby or connect with like-minded peers. As a double major in graphic design and business marketing, ADs has provided me with career-related experience and connections to students, alumni and mentors.

Everyone brings a unique perspective to the table, and it’s this blend of skills and ideas that makes the experience so enriching. Whether you're researching, applying marketing strategies, designing creative executions or writing content, there’s a place for you in ADs.