As part of the Communication 321 class, BYU-Hawaii students spent Winter Semester working and preparing to compete in the Hawaii District National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) on April 18. They competed against colleges that are veterans to the competition, like Chaminade University of Honolulu and Hawaii Pacific University, and HPU took the win. Daniel Stout, professor of International Cultural Studies and teacher for the Comm 321 class, said it was a great learning experience for the students. Stout said he believed in the team and that it was a unique experience for the students about the advertising industry. Stout remarked, “The NSAC is a demanding and broadening educational activity. It requires critical thinking and simulates a professional-level media campaign to a an actual client. The BYUH team did very well in its first-ever appearance in the competition. Its “Click, Click, Yum” strategy and sophisticated mobile app for Pizza Hut were usable ideas. Our students learned a great deal about campaigns this semester. They represented the university very well.” Linda Ceballos, international communications and psychology senior from Mexico, said it was a long and tough road to get ready for the competition because “no one we knew had ever been in one recent competition. We weren’t really sure what to expect!”Ceballos, who also graduated the same day as the competition and made it to Honolulu just minutes before presenting, said she loved competing in a real life situation. She commented, “It wasn’t the usual get ready to present in class or presenting for the research conference thing at school. It was more like getting ready to score a job.”Christopher Patenaude, a junior ICS major from Washington D.C., said a lot of time went into the preparations. “The researching ideas, testing and revising, and assembling the final product goes beyond the five who presented,” Patenaude said. “I just want to give a huge shout-out to the team for all the hours spent, sleep sacrificed, and determination given to see all the tasks to completion.”Stout added, "Team members fielded tough questions from professional judges just like an actual agency pitch. This is part of the learning process. While our team members presented a solid campaign, students competing next year will be even stronger. Although HPU won, I don't think we were far off. While their research plan was impressive, our creative concept was stronger, in my view."Sonja Klev, a junior business major from Utah, said the competition was fun. She shared, “It was great experience. I’m excited for next year and what we’ll bring to the table.” Comm 321 will be offered again during Winter Semester 2016.Uploaded May 21, 2015
Writer: Jessica Everette
