View this email in your browser
WHAT'S NEW
Second year students in professor Kelly O'Keefe's Brand Experiences class gained real world experience working on "live client" projects and presenting to clients like Hilton, Chock Full o’ Nuts, CarLotz, Unidays and FeedMeWell. Students who wanted to push themselves even further (with no class credit) worked with non-profit clients from the Virginia War Memorial, CultureWorks and VisionZero. Clients were extremely impressed with the work. Rick St. John, Virginia War Memorial Foundation board member, said, “The presentations were truly world class and showed a deep understanding of the Virginia War Memorial. I look forward to further meetings so we can capture the essence of the students' work.” To learn how brands partner with the Brandcenter, visit our Partners page page.
Last month, we hosted the 2018 AICP (Association for Independent Commercial Producers) Show at The Byrd Theater. The AICP Show celebrates the top work in lm from global advertising agencies and production companies. The show is mostly hosted in larger markets like NYC, LA, and San Francisco; but they bring the show to RVA speci cally for our students. We were especially proud that 13 Brandcenter alums had work in the show for brands like Delta, Adidas, Google, and KFC. And, Brandcenter students (now recent grads) placed in the student category for their Boss Coffee work.
We also launched our Brandcenter Pop-Up Shop just in time for holiday shopping. The online shop showcases art, books, jewelry and other goods made by our alums as well as Brandcenter gear like t-shirts, hoodies, and water bottles. Proceeds from the shop go directly to the Brandcenter’s annual fund, which supports important initiatives like student scholarships, capital improvements, new equipment, among other things to enhance the quality of education for our students. Due to high demand, the shop will remain open until January, but order by Dec. 14th for holiday shipping. Shop now
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
"As the year comes to a close, ‘tis the season of reflection. Having a couple weeks off gives us the space & time to remember the work we’re proudest of, the teamwork we’re proudest of, and all the ridiculous sh*t that’s happened in between. But, the view from second year looks entirely different than the first." Check out second year Creative Brand Management student Gabi Levi's reflection on how far she's come since wrapping up her first semester at the Brandcenter a year ago.
Read more > See more stories
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Sam Dolphin (Copywriting, 2011) and his creative partners were looking to reintroduce some risk and fun to advertising. So they rented a billboard in Oakland, CA and are using it as a canvas to connect to the community. "In a lot of ways, creativity has turned into a math formula, and we wanted to get back to the fun-unknown-experimentation world that initially inspired us to get in this business.”
Rachel Mercer (XD, 2012), Executive Strategy Director at R/GA, talks about why she graduated early to go to VCU Brandcenter, how she found more opportunities when she wasn't given enough work to do at her internship, what newsletters she reads to stay a step ahead of her clients and build their trust, how building a diverse team brought more value to her agency (and the proof!), and her secret to increasing your perceived value in this We Are Next podcast interview. See more alumni news
ALUMNI WORK
Nick Maschmeyer (ST, 2012), Tim Gordon (CW, 2008), Chase Kimball (CW, 2014) and their team at Droga5 created the new “The Truth is Worth It” campaign for the New York Times. The films showcase the hard work and perseverance of New York Times reporters and the rigorous steps they take to uncover major stories. The result is news that directly impacts our culture. See more >
Jarrod Higgins (XD, 2010), Laura Fallon Wood (AD, 2010) and their team at Wieden + Kennedy in Portland brought two iconic brand icons together for an epic dance scene in this new work for KFC promoting their new chicken and waffles meal. Watch the spot >
Cecelia Parrish (CBM, 2015), Jerry Hoak (AD, 2005) and their team at The Martin Agency imagined what John F. Kennedy’s Twitter feed would look like in this new work for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The new “Words Count” campaign underscores the point that what the President of the United States says matters and puts our current president’s habit in historical context. See more > View more work
Want to learn more about the VCU Brandcenter master's program? Request information about our program and ve tracks, learn how to apply, or come visit us. Admissions questions? Contact Isabelle Mouton, Admissions Program Administrator, at moutonia@vcu.edu or 804-827-8869.
Copyright © 2018 VCU Brandcenter, All rights reserved. VCU Brandcenter | 103 S. Jefferson Street, Richmond, VA 23284 | 804-828-8384 | brandcenter.vcu.edu Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
