SXSW offers a plethora of panels, workshops, keynotes, and so much more for people to attend ranging from all kinds of topics. I attending the Demystifying Rural Life: A Crash Course on Marketing to the Heartland, which truthfully when I first read the title had no idea what it meant by “Heartland” however after attending I have a much better understanding of not only who these people are, but as a future advertiser how I can best market to this audience.
Hosted by Chief Strategy Officer & Partner Charlie McKittrick and Strategy Director Camila Caldas the conversation highlighted the misperceptions and disrespect felt by Heartlanders towards corporate advertising, which often stereotypes them as overly masculine or rednecks. The case study revealed that Heartlanders value community deeply, emphasizing genuine, non-performative community involvement and mutual support. They prioritize values like respect, loyalty, and humility which are integral to their community culture. Creativity in the Heartland is a survival skill rather than a hobby, driven by practical ingenuity and hands-on projects. The discussion underscored the need for brands to authentically connect with them by representing their values and demonstrating genuine commitment to the community and creativity.
I thought this was very interesting because though I have not worked on any projects directly targeted to this audience, I imagine that I will at some point, and this information is crucial to helping me capture the essence of what heartlanders think. It seems like a very random niche audience to focus on, but these are a large majority of people who make up big parts of some of the biggest companies such as Budlight.
The 2025 American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Annual Meeting brought together educators, students, and professionals from around the world, all dedicated to advancing advertising knowledge and education. Held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA from March 6 to 9, this year’s conference was an incredible opportunity for members of the advertising community to share research, gain new insights, and celebrate achievements within the field.
“I am consistently honored to work at TAI, a thriving department with incredible colleagues who are passionate about teaching, research, and the future growth of the industry.” – Dr. Carrie La Ferle
The Temerlin Advertising Institute (TAI) had a standout presence this year, with several prestigious awards and paper presentations that showcased the impactful work of our faculty and student. Here’s a recap of the honors and papers presented at the conference:
Awards:
Best “Journal of Interactive Advertising” Reviewer Award
Dr. Quan Xie was recognized for his exceptional contributions to the Journal of Interactive Advertising as a reviewer. Her dedication to providing insightful feedback and advancing the field through peer review is truly commendable.
Best “Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising” Article Award
Dr. Carrie La Ferle and Dr. Steve Edwards alongside Dr. Pam Richardson-Greenfield and Dr. Yashar Dehdashti were awarded for their article, “Addressing the Damage of Deception: Determining Effective Crisis Response Strategies Following Allegations of Deceptive Advertising.” This important work delves into how brands can manage crises related to deceptive advertising and the strategies that can rebuild consumer trust.
Best DEI Advertising Conference Paper Award
Dr. Quan Xie, Dr. Sidharth Muralidharan, Dr. Joe Phua, and Shivani Kosuri, TAI student, received the DEI Advertising Conference Paper Award for their paper, “How Women Respond to Computer-Generated Inclusive Advertising: Advocating for Body Positivity in the Age of AI.” This paper explores the intersection of diversity, equity, inclusion, and AI-generated advertising, with a focus on body positivity and its impact on women’s perceptions.
Best “Journal of Interactive Advertising” Article Award
Dr. Quan Xie, Dr. Yang Feng, and Dr. Huan Chenwere awarded for their article, “AI Influencers in Advertising: The Role of AI Influencer-related Attributes in Shaping Consumer Attitudes, Consumer Trust and Perceived Influencer-Product Fit.” This cutting-edge research examines the role of AI influencers in modern advertising and how their attributes influence consumer behavior and trust.
Papers Presented:
In addition to these impressive awards, TAI researchers shared their latest findings through two notable presentations:
“Is this Real or Fake? Examining the Effects of Disclosure of AI-Generated Content and Source Type in Instagram-based Travel Destination Marketing on Consumer Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions”
Dr. Joe Phua and his co-author, Dr. Delia Balaban from Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, presented this paper. They investigated how the disclosure of AI-generated content and the source type (e.g., influencer vs. brand) affects consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions in the context of Instagram-based travel marketing.
“How Women Respond to Computer-Generated Inclusive Advertising: Advocating for Body Positivity in the Age of AI”
Dr. Quan Xie, Dr. Sidharth Muralidharan, Dr. Joe Phua, and Shivani Kosuri presented this important work on how women engage with AI-generated, inclusive advertising that advocates for body positivity.
Dr. Alice Kendrick was part of a Special Topics panel discussion titled “The Exhausted Educator 101” at the 2025 AAA annual conference. The 2025 AAA Annual Meeting was a remarkable success, highlighting the incredible work being done in the field of advertising and celebrating the strides TAI faculty and students have made in advancing knowledge and research. Congratulations to all award winners and presenters—your work is shaping the future of advertising in powerful ways.
“I am so proud of our faculty who won major awards at this year’s American Academy of Advertising (AAA) annual conference! We won Best Article awards from 2 of the 3 AAA academic journals: Journal of Interactive Advertising (JIA) and Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising (JCIRA)! Kudos to Quan Xie, Carrie La Ferle, Steve Edwards, and their respective co-authors for this amazing achievement. Also, Quan Xie, Sid Muralidharan and DMS student Shivani Kosuri were part of a paper presentation which won the Top DEI Advertising Conference Paper Award. Quan also won the Best Reviewer award from the Journal of Interactive Advertising. These accolades plus the research productivity of our faculty testify to the strength and excellence of the Temerlin Advertising Institute in advertising academic research and helps SMU continue to be one of the premier research universities for Advertising in the United States and abroad. Congratulations to our amazing team!” – Dr. Joe Phua
We look forward to next year’s conference and to continuing to contribute to the academic community’s understanding of the ever-evolving world of advertising.
On February 27th, SMU TAI students once again proved their creative expertise at the 2025 Dallas ADDY Awards, hosted at The Hall on Dragon. The prestigious event, organized by AAF Dallas, was a night of celebration—honoring creativity, dedication, and academic excellence in advertising.
SMU students dominated the competition, bringing home an impressive 25 awards, including 9 Silver, 15 Gold, and the coveted Mosaic Award—a true testament to the continued excellence and innovation fostered by the Temerlin Advertising Institute.
Ross Yenerich with his Mosaic Award on the Special Olympics, a distinction that recognizes an understanding of and sensitivity to diverse audiences.
“Our students work so hard in this program. I only have 3 words to say: SO DAMN PROUD!” – Professor Willie Baronet
The winning work showcased a diverse and cutting-edge range of advertising projects, spanning multiple media formats and real-world campaigns for existing brands. Since all the submissions earned Silver or higher, they now advance to the highly competitive District 10 competition, where SMU students will go head-to-head with some of the best young creative minds in the country.
“After being in the creative trenches with the students on these campaigns all last year, you get to a point where you’re so close to the work that you can’t be objective about it anymore. And you start to wonder if you’re just a ‘proud parent’ who’s biased about how good everything is. But the Dallas ADDYs are always special because, as the first award show of the year, it’s when we finally get confirmation that all the hard work we’ve put in over the past year really was worth it, and the work is verifiably good based on an independent jury of creative professionals. I couldn’t be prouder of these students and the work they’ve produced.” – Dr. Mark Allen
You will be able to see all of this award-winning work at Portfolio Night next month on April 2nd , RSVP here.
With each year, SMU’s presence at the ADDYs grows stronger, solidifying its reputation as a powerhouse for emerging talent in advertising. Congratulations to all the winners—your hard work and creativity continue to set the standard for the industry’s future!
DALLAS ADDYS WINNERS
SILVER
Mr. Appliance / Lucy Kieffer / Integrated Campaign
SVA Perspective Poster / Ethan Jones / Out-of-Home Poster
Birkenstock / Spencer Hogan + Ross Yenerich / Integrated
Etsy / Kailyn Sawhny / Television Advertising
Perfumania / Bella Mac + Tyler Chapman / Integrated
Check Your Smoke Detector / Emma Georghakis / Television
Mr. Appliance / Lucy Kieffer / Art Direction
Narcan / Tyler Chapman + Ross Yenerich / Out-of-Home
Amazon Prime / Gustavo Lucrecio / Outdoor & Transit
GOLD
Social Media, Made to Be Addictive / Jordan Naivar / Art Direction
NatGeo Expeditions / Emma Clarke and Linh Vu / Television
Screamfest / Spencer Hogan + Emma Clarke / Out-of-Home
Polaroid / Ross Yenerich + Kailyn Sawhny / Copywriting
Pinterest / Linh Vu + Allie Weinstein / Television Advertising
National Videogame Museum / Bernadette Cruz / Integrated
Special Olympics / Ross Yenerich / Television Advertising
Raid Wasp Spray / Knox Miller / Out-of-Home
Social Media, Made to Be Addictive / Jordan Naivar / Integrated
Polaroid / Ross Yenerich + Kailyn Sawhny / TV Advertising
Grin Tongue Cleaners / Kaya Lee / Out-of-Home
Miracle-Gro for Christmas Trees / Lilly James / Copywriting
