News

Two advertising campaigns developed by students in PSU's School of Business Administration-one for Cadillac and the other for VISIT FLORIDA, the State of Florida Tourism Board-have been selected as finalists in national competitions.

The winter term Advertising Campaigns class was selected as one of two finalists in a national advertising competition for Cadillac. The top two school teams, each with five students and a faculty advisor, will be flown to Detroit to make a personal presentation to top marketing administrators at Cadillac and its ad agency. Portland State students will head to Detroit on May 6, 2004. Kuni Cadillac of Beaverton is the corporate sponsor of the Portland State team in this competition.

The assignment called for a comprehensive marketing communication plan that would show Cadillac how to craft a younger image and attract a young customer. Portland State University was one of 15 universities participating in the competition; the other finalist was Bryant University of Rhode Island.

PSU advertising students were also selected to represent the Northwest region (District 11) of the American Advertising Federation's annual National Student Advertising Competition (www.aaf.org/college/nsac.html), beating out seven other Northwest universities last week in Great Falls, Mont., including runners-up Boise State and University of Oregon. The PSU team now travels to Dallas, Texas, in June to compete in the national competition against 16 other universities from across the country. The client this year was the State of Florida Tourism Board, also know as VISIT FLORIDA (www.visitflorida.org). Five judges, including two from VISIT FLORIDA and three ad-industry professionals, scored the competition.

"The students came up with campaigns for VISIT FLORIDA and Cadillac that were both scholarly and strategic at the same time," said Don Dickinson, director of the Advertising Management program at PSU and the faculty advisor who will accompany the students on both of the trips. "They developed some very creative executions of their ideas and were rewarded by both selections. Portland State is proud of the recognition our students have received for their high-caliber work."

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Release Number: 04-055