Tag: creative advertising

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Awards and Projects Faculty News Professional Development Scholarship SMU Creative Student Perspectives TAI Students

Willie Baronet Wins HOPE Professor of the Year Award

The Honoring Our Professors’ Excellence (HOPE) Banquet, organized by Southern Methodist University’s Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH), serves as a symbol of appreciation for faculty excellence. It’s an annual event where students and educators come together to highlight the extraordinary efforts of professors who have gone above and beyond in enriching the educational journey of their students. This year, the spotlight was on Professor Willie Baronet, the Stan Richards Professor in Creative Advertising at SMU, who was honored with the prestigious HOPE Professor of the Year Award for his commitment to his students and his innovative teaching methods. This award aims to recognize his lasting impact at the Temerlin Advertising Institute and SMU community as a whole.

Creative student Roshan Gupta, a senior studying under Baronet, had the honor of delivering the speech that announced his professor as the HOPE Professor of the Year. Gupta’s words further emphasized Baronet’s influence on his students, saying,

“Willie has been by my side my entire college career…I can confidently say that Willie has had a tremendous impact on who I am today.”

Baronet’s approach to teaching is anything but conventional. His classes are a journey into the depths of creativity and self-exploration, pushing students to unveil parts of themselves and their imaginations they never knew existed. Gupta eloquently shared his transformative experience, stating,

“His classes are not for the faint of heart, and you are pushed to explore vulnerable parts of yourself and your imagination to create work that is fulfilling, meaningful, and intelligent.”

What sets Baronet apart is not just his ability to teach but to inspire. His dedication to cultivating an environment of diverse perspectives allows students to gain a deeper understanding of concepts and themselves.

“Willie transcends traditional teaching methods and implores us to dig as deep as we can into ourselves to find what drives us and gives us purpose.”  – Roshan Gupta

Beyond the classroom, Baronet’s commitment to his students is unparalleled. Whether it is driving to a photo shoot in the middle of the day, hopping on a Zoom call in the midst of his busy schedule, or spending hours just talking, his devotion knows no bounds. As Gupta aptly put it, “I don’t know a single other professor who devotes the same level of care and attention to detail that Willie does for his students inside and outside of the classroom.”

Before joining the academic world, Baronet was the creative director for GroupBaronet (now known as MasonBaronet). His work has also been featured in prestigious publications such as Communication Arts, Graphis, and AIGA Graphic Design Annual, among others. Baronet’s creativity has been recognized with numerous awards from respected organizations, including the Dallas Advertising League and the Dallas Society of Visual Communications, and he has shared his insights on creativity, leadership, and social responsibility with audiences nationwide, including TEDx, Creative Mornings, and more.

Beyond his professional achievements, Willie Baronet has engaged in impactful artistic endeavors, notably his long-term project titled “WE ARE ALL HOMELESS.” Since 1993, Baronet has been collecting signs from homeless individuals, transforming these artifacts into powerful narratives that challenge perceptions and foster empathy. This project has not only been featured across various media platforms but has also been showcased in exhibitions both in the U.S. and the UK.

Willie Baronet’s recognition of the 2024 HOPE Undergrad Professor of the Year Award is a testament to his exceptional role not only as an educator but as a mentor, guide, and inspiration to his students. His innovative teaching methods, coupled with his unwavering dedication, exemplify the best of academic leadership and the impact a passionate professor can have on the lives of their students.

Congratulations, Professor Baronet, on this well-deserved honor. The HOPE Professor of the Year Award is a fitting recognition of your tireless devotion to your students.

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AAF Dallas Awards and Projects Competitions News TAI Students Undergraduate Students

TAI TAKES HOME 30 AWARDS AT THE DALLAS ADDYS

Written by: Stella Cofoid

“The weight and distinction of these awards are marked not only by the talents of the students, but also by the win over many large and world-renowned agencies that were also in direct competition” 

Amongst the extraordinary, with an extravaganza to match, the annual ADDY’s was held on February 26, 2022. An exuberant and staggering 30 of the 38 student awards were awarded to Temerlin Advertising Institutes undergraduates at the annual symposium. Students took home twelve bronze awards, twelve silver, five gold, and the “Best of Show” award. TAI’s students, amongst professionals and other institutes of higher enrollment, was the only undergraduate program to take home a gold award. The weight and distinction of these awards are marked not only by the talents of the students, but also by the win over many large and world-renowned agencies that were also in direct competition from the Dallas-Ft-Worth metroplex.

When asked about the distinction and rigor of this competition, undergraduate professor Dr. Mark Allen stated that he was “very proud of this group of students and my TAI colleagues who have helped nurture our small-but-mighty program.” Dr. Allen pays special tribute to Willie Baronet and Cheryl Mendenhall, as it is through their creative guidance that “Temerlin continues to punch in a much heavier weight class than our size would typically allow. What other universities attempt to do with hundreds of students and dozens of faculty, we’ve been able to accomplish with a highly-skilled “special ops” group,” Dr. Allen states.

The praise won’t stop here. The winners of these awards will move to the District Ten competition, of which include all finalists from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. From there, Nationals will follow suit showcasing the best talent from across the United States on both the undergraduate and professional level. 

Congratulations to the following Dallas ADDY Winners for 2022. You are a part of what gives Temerlin its astute distinction and credibility in such a subjective field. 

Bravo! 

 

DALLAS ADDY WINNERS 2022

BRONZE / Dallas Ballet Academy > Out-Of-Home Campaign

Ceci Luther and Thida Sok

 BRONZE / Hearing Loss Association of America > Integrated Campaign

Ethan Rios, Ra Kazadi, and Thida Sok

 BRONZE / Inkbox Temporary Tattoos > Magazine Advertising

Anika Crouser and Sophie Heidenreich

BRONZE / Temerlin Advertising Institute > Out-Of-Home Poster Campaign

Tessa Conti

 BRONZE / Lodge Cast-Iron Skillets > Integrated Campaign

Caroline Soja and Ceci Luther

 BRONZE / QuadPay: Indulge Yourself > Art Direction

Natalie Castillo

 BRONZE / Story Corps / NPR Podcast > Out-Of-Home

Brittany Cooksey and Grace Peek

 BRONZE / Temerlin Advertising Institute > Art Direction

Tessa Conti

 BRONZE / Divorced Beheaded Died Survived > Book Design

Sarah Scambray

 BRONZE / US Postal Service: Through it All > Magazine Advertising 

Ethan Rios and Palmer Beldy

 BRONZE / Ring Video Doorbell > Integrated Campaign

Ra Kazadi

 BRONZE / Sabrina Handal Business Card > Stationery 

Sabrina Handal

 SILVER / Trust & Will Online Estate Planning > Integrated Campaigns 

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Charlotte Jernigan

 SILVER / Apartments.com > Out-Of-Home

Maggie Daly and Wolffe Bonewell

 SILVER / Obsessed with the Beard Feature > Publication Design

Sarah Scambray

 SILVER / Protect Your Hearing PSA > Out-Of-Home

Ethan Rios, Ra Kazadi, and Thida Sok

 SILVER / Protect Your Hearing PSA  > Magazine Advertising

Ethan Rios, Ra Kazadi, and Thida Sok

 SILVER / Trust & Will Online Estate Planning > Copywriting 

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Charlotte Jernigan

 SILVER / Angi’s List > Magazine Advertising

Alexa May

 SILVER / Apartments.com > Copywriting

Maggie Daly and Wolffe Bonewell

 SILVER / Dad Grass: Low Dose Hemp Joints > Integrated Campaign

Sarah Scambray and Sam Zimmerman

 SILVER / Gabb Wireless Phones for Kids > Copywriting

Helen Cheever

 SILVER / Girl Scouts > Magazine Advertising 

Meriel Upton and Olivia Hernandez

 SILVER / Half Price Books > Integrated Campaign 

Sarah Scambray, Palmer Beldy and Sam Zimmerman

 GOLD / LEGO: When did you stop building? > Animation or Special Effects 

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Ethan Rios

 GOLD / LEGO: When did you stop building? > Television Advertising 

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Ethan Rios

 GOLD / LEGO: When did you stop building? > Art Direction

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Ethan Rios

 GOLD / The One Club: Pay Your Interns PSA > Integrated Campaigns

Grace Peek and Palmer Beldy

 GOLD / Waffle House: Your House Away From Home > Integrated Campaigns 

Megan Ferm and Brooke Betik

 BEST OF SHOW / LEGO: When did you stop building? 

Elizabeth Skrmetta and Ethan Rios

Best of Show winners Ethan Rios and Elizabeth Skrmetta with professors Willie Baronet and Mark Allen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch the ‘Best of Show’ ad here: https://vimeo.com/654037863

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Community Outreach Faculty Faculty Interviews Professional Development SMU Creative TAI Students

INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS: Professor Mark Allen’s Wildly Talented Students

Temerlin Advertising Institute’s Senior Lecturer Mark Allen shares his journey from high school art class to advertising professor on the We Are Next podcast. Allen found his love for advertising early on, established RedCape consultancy working with clients such as Martha Stewart, and currently feeds his passion for teaching wildly talented students at SMU.

In fact, one of Allen’s former wildly talented students, Elizabeth Entenman (B.A. Advertising 2010), introduced him to We Are Next founder Natalie Kim for the sit-down and sharing of advice learned over his varied career in the field of advertising. We Are Next is a resource for students and junior talent entering the advertising and marketing industry. This platform offers mentorships, a robust jobs board, and a variety of career advice-related content.

An interest in art, followed by a design course in high school, led Allen to major in drawing & painting and communication design and minor in advertising while in college. Post-graduation, Allen recounts leaving his creative work with recruiters at many notable agencies. He once found a note from an agency principal inside his book. Allen says, “I was so excited to see the note, but it read Nice book. Can’t tell if you’re an art director or copywriter.”

He fondly retells this story to students as a critical moment in the progression of a career in advertising to help prepare them for the ups and downs that come along with building a reputation in the field. In the podcast, Allen recommends making creative portfolios stand out to potential employers by:

    1. Showing your best work.
    2. Making sure big ideas are supported by great craft.
    3. Showing a sense of restraint, whether it is in art direction, writing or the selection of products and clients. It shows a sense of maturity.
    4. Developing a good sense of taste over time by looking at lots of great work in Communication Arts annuals and The One Show, as well as Cannes and Clio award winners, to start. It is one of the most valuable things a student can do.
    5. Showcasing quality work over quantity. Recruiters usually skim portfolios, so make sure to highlight your strengths and capabilities. Also, include class or spec work that you are excited about, as it gives employers a sense for the types of clients that would be a good fit for your skills.
    6. Identifying and articulating problems, not only in a brief, but in brainstorming and day-to-day interactions. It helps to refine your craft and identifies you as somebody who can help other people, setting you up for director-level positions.

In advising students, Allen adds, “Look at ads and ask yourself questions such as, what is the problem? How did they solve it? When you see good work, identify what is compelling and deconstruct it a little bit. What makes it great? How and why did they make that?”

Listen to the full episode of the We Are Next Podcast.

See some of the creative awards won by SMU Advertising students at the 2020 National Student Show and the 2020 AAF Dallas awards show.

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Graduate Students SXSW Austin TAI Classes TAI Students

SXSW: Neuroscience Proves Advertising’s Effectiveness

Conrad Li and Lauren Howard

“Great creative is about the gut feel and neuroscience proves it to be real.”

As advertisers we assume that great creative pieces will automatically result in high-recall and brand recognition. Human brains are decidedly lazy and have to be working all the time to gather and understand information, which means that advertisers need to work hard to make both the advertising message interesting and memorable.

In order for brands to be successful with their advertisements, they need to be understanding of the different ways to connect with consumers. They need to reduce the cognitive load that consumers are experiencing through their advertisements so that viewers don’t feel overwhelmed, but still understand the idea and message of the ad. Brands need to focus on three kinds of thinking to be successful and reduce the cognitive load: Brand Kind, Behavior Kind, and most importantly Brain Kind.

Brand Kind is the reality or relationship consumers have with brands; they are looking for “friends with benefits” relationship where they get what they want from the brand without too much effort. Behavior kind deals with the ability and opportunity for ads to bring a change in behavior such as making a purchase. Brain Kind is the most important one for brands to focus on and it deals with the visual shortcuts that allow brands to connect consumers using as many senses as possible. When ads only use one sense to reach consumers, there is not as much engagement, recognition, resonance, or relevance.

The speakers throughout this session showed that they used neuroscience to measure the key metrics stated above. Some of the world’s most memorable and well performing ads rated highly in engagement, but sometimes had the lowest brand recall. By using neuroscience, the presenters were trying to find a sweet spot between creativity and memory. Since memory is a finite resource, creatives need to find the best way to garner as much of it as possible. They believe that better experiences and engagement of senses can help with brand recall, but too much will lead to cognitive overload.

Brands that use creative ways to create moving ads (such as video) and experiential setups have the highest recognition, resonance, and relevance. Ads such as Sony’s Bravio Balls and Apple’s 1984 have high recall and recognition because of the ways they engage the brain. In the end, ads that have great creative elements that involve using different senses and direct brand messaging are the ones that stay with us the longest.