Author: Liby Navarro

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AAA Awards and Projects Conference

Shaping the Future of Advertising: TAI’s Success at the 2025 AAA Conference

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

  1. “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.
  2. “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.

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AAF Dallas Professional Development SMU Creative

And Then There Was Feedback… 25 ADDYs at the 2025 Dallas ADDY Awards

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

Emma Georghakis / Hanky Panky / Logo Design

Calphalon / Caroline Corcoran / Copywriting

Perfumania / Bella Mac + Tyler Chapman / Radio

MOSAIC AWARD

Special Olympics / Ross Yenerich

Categories
TAI Classes TAI Students

2025 B.A. Admissions Application

If you meet the admission requirements for one or more B.A. in Advertising specializations, you are eligible to complete the Temerlin Advertising Institute’s admissions application. When registering for the application, you will rank order your preference of specializations. You may apply for more than one, but will only be admitted to a single specialization.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE 2025 APPLICATION BY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2024 BY 5:00PM (CST)PLEASE NOTE: The Temerlin Advertising Institute uses Canvas LMS to manage the B.A. in Advertising application. Students that register via the above link 5:00PM on Monday, February 10 will be enrolled in a Canvas “course”—TAI Application—by Wednesday February 21. Instructions for all admission criteria, including the essay exam and supporting documents (personal statement, resume, unofficial transcript) will be available in the TAI Application Canvas class no later than Wednesday, February 12. Instructions for the creative application prompt will be posted in late January and due on Friday, February 28 at 4PM.

To be considered for admission, you MUST:

  1. Complete the Canvas essay exam in person on Saturday, February 15, between 10am-12pm (CST). There are NO make-up options. AND
  2. Submit the following to Canvas by 5:00pm (CST) on Wednesday, March 5th
    1. Personal statement
    2. Resume
  3. If seeking admission to the Creative Specialization, you will need to turn in a project to ULEE 202 by Friday, February 28 at 2PM. (CST). The link to view the creative application is accessible here.

Admission is determined based on the written essay, visual application(s), supporting materials, SMU GPA and performance in Advertising classes. Performance to-date in spring 2025 advertising classes will be considered in making admission decisions. You will be notified of our admission decision on or before Friday, March 28 or Saturday, March 29, 2025. If admitted, you will be given permission to enroll in the necessary Advertising (ADV) courses for fall 2025.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the B.A. in Advertising and the admissions process can be found here.

If you have questions or experience technical difficulties registering, contact the Institute at temerlin@smu.edu.

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Better Advertising. Better World. Professional Development TAI Students

TAI Students Shine as Semifinalists in USPS Innovation Challenge

The ANA Educational Foundation hosts a case competition with the goal creating awareness among marketing and communications students of the role and effectiveness of direct marketing within omnichannel marketing campaigns. The challenge for students is to create a marketing plan and campaign idea to drive Gen Z to sign up for USPS’s “Informed Delivery” service.

SMU Temerlin Advertising Institute was extended an invite through Dr. Carrie LaFerle’s direct involvement with the ANA Education Foundation (AEF). The campaign was lead by Professor Andrew Elliot for the ADV 2333 Internet and Mobile Advertising class.

“A sharp insight and a rock-solid plan turned a class assignment into a defining moment—one where our students proved they’re capable of more than they imagined. Watching them rise to this challenge has been nothing short of inspiring.” – Professor Andrew Elliott

On November 21, 2024 Athenas Mamatas, Jaime Maybery, Samantha Hernandez, and Shivani Kosuri were recognized as the 2024 Semifinalist for the USPS Innovation Challenge placing for the semifinals to travel to Washington DC. On December 6 the students and Professor Elliott arrived to USPS Headquarters in DC to present their campaign.

“Under the guidance of Professor Andrew Elliott, I had an incredible time participating in the USPS Direct Effect Innovation Challenge! This challenge provided me with a real-world experience which allowed me to remember why I fell in love with advertising in the first place. Being able to work on something that impacts and contributes to a larger part of our society was an incredibly fulfilling experience and I can’t wait to be apart of more work like this in the future!” – Shivani Kosuri

The strategy was to support Gen Z by delivering certainty in a world full of uncertainty with the big idea of “life’s unpredictable.” Athenas, Jaime, Samantha, and Shivani leveraged Gen Z’s unpredictable moments to effectively showcase the service’s relevance in their lives.

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Better Advertising. Better World. Professional Development TAI Alumni

Rollercoaster or Labyrinth? TAI Professor and Alumna Visualize Career Pathways

TAI Professor Alice Kendrick and Mallorie Rodak (M.A. ’11) are helping visualize career pathways for multicultural advertising professionals in the U.S.

In collaboration with the ADCOLOR organization and Cardinal Change Consulting, Kendrick and Rodak gathered workplace trends and fielded a survey in which 181 members of the ADCOLOR community described their career journeys with both words and images.

ADCOLOR is an organization that celebrates and advocates diversity in the creative and technology industries.  Results of the survey and related research were presented at the ADCOLOR conference Nov. 15 in Los Angeles.

A primary focus of the research was among women of color in the advertising workforce, and results reflected instances of fulfillment and success among respondents, as well as burnout and uncertainty.  “Forty percent of respondents said they had changed jobs in the past two years, and a common theme was that they felt it necessary to change employers to get a promotion,” said Kendrick.  More than six in ten said they had experienced a sense of lack of belonging at work during their careers.

“Career pathway models are shaped by complexity, mystery, and hidden navigational challenges, like icebergs, labyrinths, spirals, and Bermuda triangles,” concluded Rodak, who is Director of Brand Strategy at TRG.

She and Kendrick have collaborated on research among the ADCOLOR community for the past three years.

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Better Advertising. Better World. Faculty Presentations International Advertising

Dr. Joe Phua’s Keynote Talks at Babeș-Bolyai University

From October 14 to 20, 2024, Dr. Phua took the opportunity to travel to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for invited talks to the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences (FSPAC) at the Babeș-Bolyai University. With 50,000 students, it is the biggest university in Romania and is regarded as one of the most prominent research institutions in Eastern Europe.

During his visit, Dr. Joe gave talks to undergraduate and MA students in the Department of Communications, Public Relations and Advertising, and was also the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony of the College’s doctoral (Ph.D.) program. The first talk, titled “A Guide to Marketing Your Brand using Social Media and Other Digital Technologies”, discusses the ways in which brands and companies utilize various digital media, including social media, artificial intelligence (A.I.), data analytics, mobile, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), the metaverse, and other emerging technologies, for marketing and advertising. He shared with the audience various brand-building strategies that can be utilized to optimize brands’ marketing and advertising plans.
“Advertising for Health: Use of Social Media and Influencer Marketing in Strategic Health Communication Campaigns” was the second talk were he discussed several of his published research studies about how to utilize social media channels and influencers to spread awareness of public health issues, such as vaping, childhood obesity, and vaccines, and encourage attitude and behavioral change. Dr. Joe integrated several of his research studies published in top journals like “Journal of Health Communication”, “Journal of Advertising Research”, “Computers in Human Behavior”, “Telematics and Informatics”, “Journal of Medical Internet Research, “Journal of Health Psychology” and others, highlighting how Internet-based public health interventions and campaigns can be used to encourage healthy behavior uptake among specific target audiences, leading to positive public health outcomes. Additionally, Dr. Phua guided new and current BBU doctoral (Ph.D.) students looking to pursue research in relevant areas of communications, public relations and advertising, about conducting, publishing and funding research, and how to establish their academic careers. He shared insights about life as a professor, based on his own experiences as a faculty member and Endowed Distinguished Chair of the Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU.
In addition to his invited talks, he met with several of the university’s administrators and faculty members, leading to the future of advertising, and how emerging technologies like AI are shaping the advertising industries in Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world. Additionally, he had meaningful conversations with BBU alumni, some of whom are entrepreneurs in Romania’s burgeoning tech scene, about issues related to the EU’s online data protection regulations and its impact on advertising and marketing industries.
Over the course of his visit, Dr. Joe toured various historical landmarks around the BBU campus in the city of Cluj-Napoca, learned more about Romanian history, and sampled some traditional Romanian cuisine. The visit was made possible through an ERASMUS+ program at BBU, facilitated by one of his research collaborators, Dr. Delia Cristina Balaban, who is the Director of the Ph.D. School of Communication, PR and Advertising at BBU. Dr. Balaban and Dr. Phua are co-authoring research on use of AI and AI-generated content in social media advertising, which will be presented at various academic conferences including the AAA and the ICORIA.
Moving forward, I hope to develop more collaborative opportunities between BBU’s FSPAC and corresponding units at SMU, including the Temerlin Advertising Institute, so our faculty and students will be able to work with BBU personnel on various educational and training exchanges. – Dr. Joe Phua
Follow Dr. Joe Phua’s professional career here.
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Faculty Faculty Research International Advertising Professional Development Research

New Research on Virtual Influencers by Dr. Xie

 

Dr. Quan Xie has conducted new research on “Prosocial Campaigns With Virtual Influencers: Stories, Messages, and Beyond” alongside Eunjin Kim, Joo-Wha Hong, and Hye Min Kim.

How can virtual influencers be used to promote prosocial messages? In the digital age, virtual influencers (VIs) hold great potential to enhance prosocial campaigns. This research aims to identify effective strategies for using VIs to create a greater impact, build deeper connections with consumers, and drive meaningful social change. Specifically, it examines how VIs can promote socially responsible behaviors, such as raising awareness about cyberbullying. The study explores whether storytelling (narrative messaging) can make VIs more effective in delivering prosocial messages.

The study concentrates on the ways in which social media platforms have revolutionized the curation and diffusion of material. Influencers are leading the way in these changes, with Virtual Influencers (VIs) occupying a unique space in digital interaction. The use of virtual influencers (VIs) to encourage socially conscious behavior is examined in this research. By contrasting human-like (HVIs) and anime-like (AVIs) influencers, as well as narrative vs. non-narrative messaging approaches, it looks at how VIs can successfully transmit prosocial messages.

The research tested two types of VIs: one that looks human-like (human-like virtual influencers, HVIs) and another with an anime-style appearance (anime-like virtual influencers, AVIs), across two messaging styles—narrative (storytelling) and non-narrative (informational). Focusing on Gen Z and younger Millennials, the results showed that HVIs were more effective than AVIs in increasing support for the social cause and enhancing message credibility, especially when the message was non-narrative. However, when using a narrative style, this advantage of HVIs disappeared, with no significant difference in effectiveness between HVIs and AVIs in terms of message credibility and intent to support the cause. This study offers valuable insights for marketers and non- profit organizations on the effective use of VIs in disseminating prosocial messages.

In addition, the study highlights how look and narrative influence viewers understanding and reaction to prosocial messages from VIs, providing useful information for companies and marketers.

This research was presented in the annual 2024 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in August.

Read the full research article here.

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AAF AAF Dallas Awards and Projects Better Advertising. Better World. Competitions Professional Development Professional Organizations SMU Creative TAI Students

National Addy’s Awards brought to SMU!

Helena & Kailyn with their National ADDY Award

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) hosts the annual ADDY Awards, which are the biggest and most prestigious competition in the advertising business. The competition is divided into three levels: local, district, and national. The District 10 competition took place in Dallas, Texas, back in March. Acorns campaign by Maddie Otero and Morgan Martinez won SILVER; Fender had Helena Hargraves and Kailyn Sawhny win SILVER; Skout’s Honor Pet Odor Eliminator campaign earned Helena Hargraves win GOLD; and Truth Initiative’s campaign led by Spencer Hogan, Bella Mac and Allie Weinstein win GOLD. Every student who placed Gold or Silver in the district level advances to the national competition.

Early in May, the national competition winners were revealed, and later that month, in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the AAF ADMERICA Conference, awards were presented.

At the National ADDY Awards, Truth Initiative campaign by Spencer Hogan, Bella Mac and Allie Weinstein was recognized with a SILVER ADDY. Acorns by Maddie Otero and Morgan Martinez earned a SILVER National ADDY. Helena’s campaign for Skout’s Honor Pet Odor Eliminator took home the SILVER , while Helena’s and Kailyn’s campaign for Fender took home the GOLD National ADDY Award.

We are beyond thrilled that Spencer, Bella, Allie, Morgan, Maddie, Helena and Kailyn’s campaigns received national recognition and brought four National ADDY Awards to SMU!

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Professional Development

Celebrating Excellence: Dr. Carrie La Ferle Receives The Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Award

By Bella Cox and Liby Navarro

This Thursday, the Dallas Business Journal (DBJ) will host the Women in Business Awards. For 17 years, these awards have recognized women from diverse backgrounds for their exceptional leadership and impactful contributions to their industries and communities.

With over 250 nominees each year, the selection process is highly competitive. A panel of judges consisting of past women in business honorees helps make the selection alongside DBJ leaders. This year, Dr. Carrie La Ferle has been selected as one of the 27 esteemed women honored.

“I am honored to be selected as a recipient of the Dallas Business Journal’s (DBJ) Women in Business Awards. I love sharing the importance of culture for effective communication in advertising and marketing with the next generation, local & global organizations, and within the non-profit sphere. As a 2024 inductee to the Society of Culturally Intelligent (CQ) Fellows, I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in best practices in leadership across a broader range of cultures. Culture includes everyone, from national culture, to race and ethnicity, to gender and lifestyle, and even the homeless. Through my work with S.O.U.L. Church (soulchurch.org), a mobile church serving the Dallas homeless since 1995, we see the importance of learning about a culture to build trust and true understanding of needs, resulting in more heartfelt and effective outcomes. This award is an honor to receive as all the women receiving the DBJ’s Women in Business Award are absolute powerhouses in their respective disciplines and yet make time for giving back to the community. I look forward to seeing what each will continue to achieve in the future for themselves and for the betterment of Dallas and beyond.”

We are so proud of Dr. Carrie La Ferle for her accomplishment.  As the award celebrates women who are leaders in the fields across various industries — with Dr. La Ferle in Advertising. This prestigious award is given to influential women who go above and beyond in their business and community and who will continue to impact our business landscape for years to come.

 

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Better Advertising. Better World. Discovery Classes Engaged Learning Graduate Students International Advertising Masters in Advertising Program NYC Professional Development SMU Creative Student Perspectives TAI Alumni TAI Classes TAI Students Undergraduate Students

Creatives Take NYC

From April 25 to May 1, several of our students had the opportunity to tour and network with some of the world’s leading advertising companies during this year’s TAI creative NYC trip which serves as a discovery class. Dr. Mark Allen and Professor Willie Baronet planned and led graduate and undergraduate students in this unique immersive advertising experience.

“As always it was an inspiring and productive time in New York where we took our students to some of the best agencies in the world. Watching them meet our alums and seeing the amazing work they are producing is always a magical experience for me. This year we visited Anomaly, Ogilvy, Momentum, Walrus, NBC Universal, Kenneth Cole Studios, Translation and more!” – Willie Baronet

The first stop on the tour was Johannes Leonardo, a creative firm that encourages customer involvement on behalf of companies. TAI alum Tessa Conti gave us a tour of the distinctive JL church-style facility and updated us about her work with clients including Adidas, Amazon, and Kraft. Later on in the day, we went to Translation with Kaleb Mulugeta, a TAI graduate, and had breathtaking views of the Brooklyn Bridge. AdAge has named Translation the 2022 Agency of the Year and included it on their Agency A-List.

We began our Friday morning at Kenneth Cole Studios, where Maria Cuomo gave us a tour of the facility and shared some of Kenneth Cole’s advice. Despite being a fashion business, we learned about in-house advertising and the brand’s deliberate adherence to its identity. Amol Rana gave us a fascinating tour of Google and displayed some of his YouTube commercials. We had the opportunity to speak with several alumni for a Q&A session at the end of the week, during which we asked them questions regarding their post-college and professional lives and received some incredible advice.

The plan for the weekend was to visit Central Park, see shows on Broadway, and visit museums like the Whitney and MOMA in order to thoroughly immerse oneself in NYC life.

On Monday, we had a great start to the week by going to Momentum Worldwide, here they served us NY way. We learned everything there is to know about experimental advertising, which is the practice of leveraging technology to improve the human experience while creating memories for brands. Former TAI alumni Jordan Chlapecka and Allie Hartman talked about their experiences working with companies like Verizon, Nike, Coke, and AMEX. Next, we visited Ogilvy, where we met up with Helen Rieger and Morgan Hoff, two former SMU students. They were able to demonstrate several projects they had completed for Verizon, Nationwide, and Coca-Cola, but they also gave us advice on how to approach uncertain circumstances proactively when things could change unexpectedly. Deacon Webster’s Walrus was the final agency visit of the day, during which he explained his strategy of being calculating but yet humorous. We concluded Monday night with the senior dinner, where Willie and Mark gave inspirational speeches and many of us shed tears as our seniors begin a new chapter in their life.

On our last day, we began with a visit of the SNL and Jimmy Fallon sets at NBCUniversal. Michael Reidy, an SMU alum, welcomed us with breakfast before the panel discussion began. The panelists stressed that while our creativity will make us stand out, we must also enter this phase of our life with passion and resiliency. Eric Damassa led the final agency visit of the trip, which was Anomoly. Anomoly strives to cooperate with companies like eos, Ranch Water, and Obie that align with its mission. We concluded the trip with the Alumni Networking Event, where we had the chance to socialize with other alumni who live in the city and sing a few karaoke songs to round off our time together.

Overall, there are not enough words to describe our trip, so be sure to watch our reel on Instagram at @smu.advertising!