GVSU wins Districts at prestigious National Student Advertising Competition

Grand Valley State University's Advertising Team made school history this weekend in Southfield, MI with a first place finish in District 6 at the AAF National Student Advertising Competition [NSAC]. The district is the largest in the country with 20 teams from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois from big names such as University of Michigan, Michigan State, University of Notre Dame and Butler. The win lets GVSU continue on to the National Championships for the first time.

"I am so proud of our team, the dedication and the passion for doing what we all love. Every sleepless night paid off," said Amanda Villarreal, local Eastown resident and Creative Director of the team. 

"It's been a crazy ride. But from day one, the 25 of us have believed that our ideas can add value to the Nissan brand and we never let go of that. It's surreal to see that all of these hours truly paid off,” said Vander Kolk.

Frank Blossom, the teams' advisor and coach said that participating on the Advertising Team has given the GVSU School of Communications students experience in an ad agency atmosphere to get them prepared for working in the advertising industry. Most on the team are seniors, so the class has been invaluable to get them ready for the "real world" that's right around the corner.

"The NSAC is the 'world series' of college advertising programs," said Blossom,"It gives students a chance to show their smarts in front of ad industry leaders, help build their personal brands. Ad Agency and Corporate Recruiters are active participants at all the competitions looking for the best and brightest. It's a powerful job jumpstart for students."

A moment that will forever be solidified into the students' minds is hearing Grand Valley State University come from the announcer's mouth as the winner. The team erupted into celebration, and many of had tears in their eyes, still trying to grasp the situation. 

“Words cannot express how honored we are to have gotten first place. It's a competitive district, and we have shown yet again that the caliber of students at Grand Valley can hang with anyone," said Patrick Vander Kolk, Account Executive of Grand Valley State University's Advertising Team. 

Grand Rapids is a city recognized as a creativity hub for young professionals, and the team is looking forward to adding to the buzz and getting the city's name further recognized nationwide. Grand Rapids businesses like Clark Communications, Pomegranate Studios and WZZM13's DealChicken aided the team in their fundraising efforts to get the students to the competition, so the students would like to return the favor.

"We're not done yet," said Vander Kolk,"We are planning on bringing home first place from the National competition this June. This really is going to be great exposure for Grand Rapids." 

The GVSU team will be packing up their boots and spurs and heading to Austin, Texas to compete for the National Championship title at the AAF National Conference June 2-5.