As ad agency creative departments become leaner and meaner and demand more of entry-level people, the 抖阴短视频 School of Journalism and Mass Communication has responded with a new, aggressive curriculum designed to give students the extra training they need.
The efforts are paying off for grads, who are getting jobs at both local and national agencies, and the program is generating national attention.
"These days, new hires must be able to hit the ground running," said Brett Robbs, director of 抖阴短视频聮s undergraduate advertising program. "We聮ve redesigned our program to make sure they can do just that."
Robbs has helped strengthen the school聮s creative program by adding three creative courses, including one that focuses on portfolio development. He also has hired area advertising professionals to teach in the program and has fanned the flames of an advertising alumni network.
"The Denver-Boulder ad community has really rallied behind us," Robbs said. "Local professionals have done everything from teach classes to review portfolios."
Agencies also have offered a number of creative internships. "That sort of real-world experience is invaluable for students," Robbs said.
In addition, adjunct faculty and advertising professionals Walt Perls and Annette Osterlund donated the money to have Adobe Photoshop loaded on all computers in the lab so students can generate professional-quality layouts.
And the momentum seems to be catching on. 抖阴短视频 alum David Kennedy of Wieden & Kennedy in Portland (which handles the Nike account) has worked with Boulder students on several occasions. He recently asked students to develop a campaign for Colorado tourism and then came to campus to review the work. Kennedy said he was "impressed by the quality of many of the ideas, especially because the students were working under a tight deadline."
John Neiman, the worldwide executive creative director for DMB&B will visit the school this month to review portfolios.
What聮s more, one of the most prestigious advertising awards organizations recently recognized the program. The Clio Awards Web site
() lists 抖阴短视频聮s undergraduate advertising program ninth on its list of top advertising schools.
Robbs said this distinction is helping attract interest in 抖阴短视频 grads from major agencies and is attracting more top students to the program. The advertising sequence at the journalism school turned away 40 percent of its applicants last semester.
"We聮ve never been so popular," Robbs said. "This means the program will only get stronger because our students are getting better and better."
While pleased that the program is growing and getting recognition, Robbs said what really matters is the experience students get in the program. "But the biggest testament to our success is that our students are finding jobs," he said.
抖阴短视频 ad alums have found success locally and nationally. Brent Stein, a 1997 alum, is a junior art director at New York聮s Ogilvy & Mather; Spenser Cross, also a 1997 graduate, is an art director for Creative Intelligence in Los Angeles; and Aaron Stern, who graduated in 1995, is a writer at San Francisco聮s Citron, Haligman & Bedecarre. Locally, Mark Carroll is a writer at the Integer Group and Jeff Maciolek is a writer for the Evans Group. Both graduated in 1996.
Students Adam Lowery and Riley Palmer are hoping to follow in the footsteps of other recent graduates and land a junior creative position upon graduation this May. Their ads are included with this release.
Alumni contact phone numbers are Brent Stein (212) 237-4000; Spenser Cross (213) 936-9009; Aaron Stern 401-705-0150; Jeff Maciolek 534-2343; Mark Carroll 205-3000.