A new iPhone was never on my “Back to School” supplies list. But that was a vastly different time. No one is going Back to School in 2024 without a cell phone, it’s the first thing Students grab and the last thing they’d want to leave behind. And we all know that “Connecting Changes Everything.” We are so proud that AAF Corporate Partner and AAF Advertising Hall of Fame Corporate Inductee AT&T has chosen to Partner with the AAF for this year’s AAF National Student Advertising Competition now in its 41st year of competition—there is no better way to learn about the advertising campaign process than by actually developing a campaign for a real client. The AT&T case study promises to bring out the best from our collegiate members who live and breathe “Connectivity” 24/7/365. Each year, since 1983, an AAF Corporate Partner provides a case study outlining the history of its product and current challenges. The case study reflects a real-world marketing challenge. Students must research the product and its competition, identify potential problem areas, and devise a completely integrated campaign for the client. Each student team then "pitches" its campaign to a panel of judges. Judging is conducted by professionals in the advertising, marketing, and communications industry. Judges at the national level are selected from the client and their advertising agencies. Each of the AAF's college chapters can form a team for the National Student Advertising Competition on its campus. All students participating on the NSAC team must be AAF College Chapter members. The AAF is divided into 15 regions, and based on their school location, student teams first compete at the district level. The winning team(s) from each district then advances to the semi-finals, where NSAC teams compete for one of eight spots at the finals. And while the AAF has adopted a “lifelong learning” priority for our Education efforts – we realize today’s demanding Advertising industry means we must learn new skills, new technologies and new ways to break through. Long known for our numerous World Class Education & Lifelong Learning programs, events, and opportunities, the AAF believes in Education at all levels and takes seriously the need to help our Members grow and develop skills that will serve them well in the dynamic fields of Advertising, Media and Marketing. Examples of some of our Education based programs include: National Student Advertising Competition Student Advertising Career Conference Mentorship Program And our extensive list of AAF Education and Resources for Students is a comprehensive list of available opportunities for Student engagement with the AAF. A lot of our highly respected work in this important area is led by our National Education Executive Council Chair: Jeff Sheets, Teaching Professor at Brigham Young University. Our Distinguished Advertising Educator Award has annually recognized the Best of the Best in our Collegiate ranks. Since 1987, the AAF has recognized the best advertising professors in the country through the Distinguished Advertising Educator Award. This award is intended to honor a senior individual (10 or more years of teaching experience) who has accomplished all the criteria to the benefit of the advertising industry over the course of his/her career. And we blend our World Class Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work into our overall Education efforts including: Most Promising Multicultural Students HBCUs for Advertising All this support means that the AAF is both deeply invested and truly committed to Education and Lifelong Learning across our grass roots network. As we develop the Next Generation of Advertising Leaders – we all need to go “Back to School” and learn even more about what it takes to remain “The Unifying Voice for Advertising.”
—Steve