Student: Boxiong Cao After the first two great mandatory talks we attended on Saturday, March 8th, where sessions talked about how AI impacted advertising and how we can integrate AI to advertising to improve performance, and enhance storytelling. Me and Grant got to the event we were most excited about – The main sponsor of SXSW 2025 Rivian’s Off-Road Experience in downtown Austin, and it did not disappoint. The experience was set to demonstrate Rivian EV’s off-road ability as well as its raw power, torque and versatility. We quickly checked in, signed our waivers and got a briefing from the team before hopping into the R1T (Staff were super friendly). We got to experience the ride while a professional driver took us through some steep hills. We were welcomed by the luxury interior the car offered, and the driver wasted no time putting the truck to the test. When we hit the first steep incline, the car got up the hill effortlessly its 1500nM+ torque. The descent was equally impressive, where the car’s descent control allow the car to glide down smoothly without the driver touching the brake. Unlike gas-powered cars, there was no engine howl, just us saying wow inside the car. Right after the hill, we also tackled a 40-degree side incline, where the R1T effortlessly maintained stability(even though I was crouched in the middle seat), showcasing its independent air suspension system in action. Despite the extreme tilt, the vehicle remained composed, proving just how well it adapts to challenging terrain. Overall, it was a great experience to attend SXSW where I not only gained more insights to advertising, AI, and I also get to experience this beast in a off road setting, it was a true immersive experience that showcased Rivian is all about: Adventure, pushing boundaries and proving that EVs belong to the wild just as much as they do in a city sitting.
The Female Quotient Equity Lounge & Panels – SXSW Day 2
Paulina: One of my favorite parts of this weekend at SXSW was the Female Quotient’s Equity Lounge that launched on International Women’s Day and provided incredible panels and activations. One of my favorite Panels that we sat in on was the “Algorithm for all: AI as Co-creator”, in which the speakers talked about how AI can help in the development of products and brand growth through methods that we don’t always think about. One of the speakers mentioned how they have trained AI to have their desired consumer traits and voice with their own consumer research and data (videos, stories, etc.). They then use this AI to represent their consumer voice and can test with projects that are being developed. This was just one of my favorite panels that I got to sit in on, but I also really enjoyed all the activations they held at this event, which I felt were incredibly relevant to the brand and day. FQ collaborated with Ulta Beauty to hand out products and held a makeup and hair retouch booth. There was a Customize your own tote bag section and many other things that connected so well to the brand.
Kelsey: The FQ Lounge was absolutely one of my highlights of the weekend – with amazing pop-ups, speakers, and guest appearances, Paulina and I kept finding new things to do every time we visited. Every discussion session was incredibly interesting and insightful, ranging from AI integration to understanding needs of brand personas and messaging to how disrupt using AI. Additionally, with a coffee bar, books to take home, and a flower wall, there was a little bit of everything for everyone. NASA astronaut Cady Coleman was also in attendance, promoting her new book “Sharing Space”!
‘The Last of Us’ Cast on Season 2 Panel & Meeting Gabriel Luna – SXSW Day 2
Paulina: One of the highlights for me this weekend was being able to get into the panel with the cast of “The Last of Us”, where the cast and creators spoke on season 2 and premiered its trailer for the first time. As a fan of the show, this was a surreal moment for me, and I loved being able to see some of my favorite celebrities like Pedro Pascal (of course), Gabriel Luna, and Bella Ramsy. And the most star-stucking moment of all… running into and meeting Gabriel Luna after the panel!
Kelsey: Coming into SXSW, I was excited for many panels, but nothing compared to finding out that the cast and crew of The Last of Us season 2 would be in attendance a few days before traveling down to Austin. I love Pedro Pascal’s acting overall, especially in this series based on the beloved video game, and was thrilled to hear him and all of the cast discuss the highly-anticipated season. They premiered the brand new trailer at our panel, showing off to the world for the first time the incredible new season. Each member of the panel had super fun answers to all of the questions, with Gabriel Luna shouting out his hometown of Austin first thing. In a surprising turn of events, after the amazing panel, we ran into Gabriel Luna, not once, not twice, but three times as we bopped around to other activations!
Filming with Elmo & Cookie Monster for Sesame Street – SXSW Day 3
Kelsey: We accidentally stumbled upon the filming of social media segments focused around healthy relationships with screens, social media, and screen time for Sesame Street featuring Cookie Monster and Elmo (two characters we were hoping to see this weekend!) After getting in a short queue that was behind the filming area, we found out that we could be in a video, as we were the last group allowed to join the line! Elmo asked each of us one question about screens, with mine focusing on how to spread kindness online. Paulina then answered and we were able to get a picture with Elmo and then everything dispersed with the end of filming. I felt extremely lucky that we just so happened to be in the right place at the right time to meet the characters from one of my favorite shows growing up. It felt so rewarding that on pure luck we were able to stumble upon the “celebs” we were hoping to meet all weekend (a common theme overall).
Paulina: Another incredible moment for me happened at the very start of day 3, where we accidentally stumbled upon Sesame Street Filming content with Cookie Monster and Elmo. Immediately, Kelsey and I got in line and turned out to be the last ones that got to participate and film on that day. It was such a surreal moment for me that brought back so much nostalgia. Sesame Street was such a big part of my childhood and to be able to have had this incredible opportunity honestly brought me to tears.
‘From Clicks to Careers: Marketing & Branding to Recruit Gen Z’ Session – SXSW Day 3
Kelsey: Having the opportunity to hear from some of the women behind Handshake, Google, and Axios was absolutely amazing! Each woman had such interesting and valuable insights in regards to how Gen Z (our generation) is navigating early career fields, opportunities, and the job market and how different this generation is from those previous. Katherine Kelly (Chief Marketing Officer – Handshake) talked in depth about how the new generation is approaching searching for jobs, as well as how career goals and benefits for Gen Z have changed in comparison to others, focusing more on benefits having higher importance (pay, insurance) as opposed to the values of the company being applied to, something I found very interesting in a post-DEI world.
Paulina: One of my absolute favorite sessions of SXSW was being able to hear this panel talk about how companies are adapting their hiring processes to Gen Z and the trends they have witnessed with my generation. As a Gen Z who is about to graduate and enter the job market, it was so interesting to hear what the professionals on the talent acquisition side are thinking when it comes to the changing workforce. An important insight that they shared was on how my generation uses LinkedIn differently than other generations, but still remains incredibly important when it comes to building a personal brand.
Use this link to access all of our pictures and videos of our highlights above!
SXSW 2025 was an incredible experience that exceeded my expectations. From the diverse range of panels to the networking opportunities, I gained invaluable insights into the world of innovation, creativity, and branding. One of the standout moments for me was attending the talk titled The Disruptor’s Advantage: Innovation, AI, and Brand Growth on March 8th. The panel, featuring Ulta’s CMO, an executive from an ad agency, an NBC exec, and a data analyst, focused on how brands can create impact by partnering with women’s sports and athletes. I was especially struck by the insights shared by the Global Chief Growth Officer of 72andSunny, Damaune Journey, about the growing influence of women’s sports and the importance of brands tapping into this movement. I felt so inspired by his words that I immediately reached out to him on LinkedIn to ask if we could have a conversation around this topic – and he responded positively, agreeing to connect!
Another highlight was attending the AdWeek networking event on March 9th. There, I had the chance to connect with the owner of Ocupop, a creative advertising agency. He gave me fantastic career advice about development in creative spaces and even offered to stay in touch, encouraging me to reach out if I ever needed a job.
Overall, my time at SXSW was a fantastic opportunity to learn, network, and grow. It was an enriching experience, and I’m grateful for all the connections I made and the insights I gained that will no doubt shape my future career in the creative industry.
Student: Ali McKelvey I’ve always been fascinated by the accelerating changes in AI technology, so I made sure to attend a session at SXSW that would dive deep into this topic. I attended “The Auto-Evolving Business: AI’s Agentic Near Future” with Niel Redding, where I learned some eye-opening insights. One of the main ideas discussed was that AI is becoming an “invasive species,” and as a result, humans need to learn how to develop a symbiotic relationship with it. Redding emphasized that businesses and individuals who fail to embrace AI risk being left behind or even losing their jobs. This is where the mental model of AI evolution comes in, which progresses in five stages at an increasingly rapid pace. The session broke down each stage, beginning with Prompt (such as chatbots) and moving to Participate (where AI helps us complete tasks), then onto Delegate (where AI begins to take on more responsibilities), followed by Initiate (AI acting autonomously, like sending emails or enhancing visual experiences through smart glasses). The final stage, Symbiosis, is where businesses and AI evolve together, benefiting both the technology and the planet. This evolving relationship will reshape industries and daily life, and it’s clear that to stay competitive, we need to start building toward this symbiotic future. Another fun session I attended featured actor Ben Stiller and Apple’s Eddy Cue, where they discussed the hit Apple TV+ series Severance. As someone who recently finished Season 1, I was thrilled to hear them talk about the show, which has become one of my current obsessions. It was exciting to get an inside look at the creative process behind Severance, especially with exclusive clips from an unreleased episode that will air next week. What I found particularly interesting was hearing Ben and Eddy discuss the storytelling techniques used in Severance and how they integrate Apple products into the narrative. Their insights into the casting process and the evolution of the show added another layer of appreciation for the series. It was a fascinating session that not only gave a behind-the-scenes peek into the making of Severance but also highlighted the ways in which storytelling and technology come together in innovative ways.
My experience at SXSW was one that I will never forget. My main takeaway from the entire conference, was the sessions I was able to attend at The Female Quotient activation, on International Women’s Day. The Female Quotient did a wonderful job celebrating women with both activities and speakers. There was a flower-making station, Ulta was styling hair or touching up make-up, and an option for embroidering a tote bag. Right when I walked in, I felt welcomed and was given the option to pick out a free book, that were all popular woman authors.
Outside of the environment of The FQ Lounge, I attended two back-to-back sessions with some great keynote speakers, among them the CEO and CMO of Ulta, the Chief Impact Officer of 72andSunny, and NBCUniversal’s SVP of Client Partnerships & Advertising. The main session I was attending was called “The W Factor: How Women’s Sports Became the Hottest Investment in Brand Marketing. The panelists spoke about how women’s sports have grown exponentially and what they are each doing to keep the momentum. As someone who is trying to work in the sports industry, I really enjoyed each of their unique viewpoints, and how their brands were promoting women in sports.
I had an amazing experience attending SXSW in Austin for the first time. I had no idea what to expect.
From the moment we arrived, we got right to it. I listened to founders and industry leaders share their experiences working with global brands. They had different perspectives, and I took in a lot of useful insights. As someone with a creative background, it was interesting to see how strategy and creativity can work together to shape a brand’s vision. One of the highlights was hearing from DIBS Beauty co-founders Jeff Lee and Courtney Shields. They provided great insight into the early stages of their brand and its future.
I also stopped by The Female Quotient lounge on International Women’s Day and attended an insightful talk about The Disruptor’s Advantage: AI and Brand Growth. The panel featured leaders such as Alyssa Altman (EVP, Industry Lead, Publicis Sapient), Mindy Barry (Global VP of Marketing, SHEBA Brand, Mars Pet Nutrition), Logan Duran (VP, ESG, Tapestry), Chelsea Hirschhorn (CEO & Founder, Frida), and Caroline Dettman (Chief Creative & Marketing Officer, The Female Quotient). Another standout session was Demystifying Rural Life: A Crash Course on Marketing to the Heartland, led by Camila Caldas and Charlie McKittrick of Mother. They discussed how the Heartland often feels disrespected and misunderstood by marketers. As someone from Oklahoma, I resonated with this deeply. They emphasized the importance of exploring different communities and understanding the values that matter most in the Midwest and South—family, respect, loyalty, and love. I also had the opportunity to attend a mentor session with Anca Platon Trifan. One of my biggest takeaways was her perspective on embracing the moments, skills, and lessons that shape your unique journey—what she described as everyone having their own “flower bouquet.” She spoke about finding your voice, whether through podcasting or other creative outlets, and the challenge of knowing whether your audience is truly listening.
The brand activations were another highlight. Some of the most creative activations came from Aveeno, Amazon Prime, DIBS, Meta, Kendra Scott, and Blackmagic Design.
Lastly, one of the most exciting moments was getting to see The Last of Us stars and creators, including Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. They premiered an exclusive full trailer for the new season.
Overall, I had an incredible time and am so grateful to SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute for providing students with such an amazing opportunity.
Student: Ellie Pierce I had no idea what to expect before attending SXSW, but I am happy to report that I was beyond fulfilled with my experience. From the various activations to the many panels I attended, I felt like I learned so much from an advertising standpoint. My favorite panels were the marketing panel hosted by NBCU as well as the disruptors panel. Each of these panels had higher-ups in marketing / advertising speak that each gave such amazing advice regarding ways to stand out and make your mark in the industry. I took extensive notes and found everything very insightful as someone about to start their career in advertising. In addition to this I was so inspired as a young advertiser; I hope someday I can make an impact on the industry and be called upon to speak at something like SXSW. As for the activations – it was so fun getting new merch and trying new products I wouldn’t have been able to try otherwise. It was also a really interesting way to view how to creatively advertise your brand to people in person; there were so many cool collaborations and executions. The What-a-burger activation was such a creative way to put the brand out there. Furthermore, I loved the entire group who came for SXSW. I felt like I became closer with a lot of my peers in the major. I had so much fun hopping around activations and going to panels with the whole class. I felt like everyone had their own unique perspective and knowledge about everything going on at SXSW, and I was able to experience and learn more than I would’ve if I had gone alone.
SXSW was a great experience as a TAI graduate student. Over the course of the weekend, we were able to see many great sessions, speakers, and activations. The expo floor was full of booths displaying the newest tech products, productivity software, lifestyle products, and cultural experiences. We were able to see activations and pop-ups like the Amazon Prime House, Netflix’s Love is Blind, and the F1 Arcade station where they used AI to connect Spotify to a machine that pulled juices and syrups to create a drink based on your song choice.
My favorite part of the weekend was attending a panel entitled “What Happens to Fangirls When They Grow Up?” The panelists where women working in the film and media spaces as well as research who, as fans of franchises themselves, work with brands, studios, and companies to harness the power of fandom to further their IP. They advocate for the power of fans, how they influence the culture around the object of the fandom for the better, and how the teams behind the objects of fandom can have a symbiotic relationship with the fans. I had the privilege of spending a few hours that evening chatting with two of the panelists. We shared ideas about fans in marketing, they offered wisdom about being a creative wanting to work in marketing and fan spaces and bonding over shared interests. That was an opportunity I would have never gotten had I not gone to SXSW with TAI.
SXSW is always packed with cool innovations, but my stop at the SeedAI House this year was definitely a standout—especially getting to try out Meta’s latest tech. First up were the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and honestly, they looked and felt just like regular Ray-Bans. But the built-in AI and hands-free photo and video capture? That’s where things got interesting. I tested out the voice command to snap a pic, and it felt so natural—no phone, no fumbling, just effortless. It made me realize how this kind of tech could change the game for content creators, live streaming, and just everyday life. Wearable AI that actually blends in? That’s something brands should be paying attention to.
Then came the Meta VR gaming experience, and wow—this was next-level immersive. The headset was lighter and smoother than others I’ve tried, making everything feel insanely real. But beyond just gaming, I kept thinking about how this tech could reshape branding and marketing. Imagine brands creating fully interactive experiences where you don’t just watch—you step into the story. Virtual try-ons, branded VR worlds, interactive campaigns—it’s all happening. Walking out of SeedAI House, I had the thought that AI, VR, and wearables are blurring the lines between digital and real life, and the brands that get on board now are the ones that’ll be ahead of the curve.
One of my favorite sessions I went to was a brand activations talk called “How to Be Authentic” in marketing. It was led by a representative from NYX makeup, and they had a really interesting perspective on how to make campaigns feel bigger than just a product, and more like a movement. One thing that really stuck with me was a question someone asked; “Before Covid, everything was in person. Then we moved everything online. So how do we combine the two now and create something that feels truly hybrid?” It sparked a great conversation about not just doing both but doing them in a way that actually connects with people on both ends.
The expo itself had a lot of energy and brands were showing off their creativity, and it was cool to see how different companies approach marketing. I left that session with a new appreciation for how intentional brands have to be to really connect with people online and offline.
