Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations

ADPR Students Win at 2020 Addy Awards

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2020 Addy Awards

Fifteen students from the School of Advertising and Public Relations and a graphic design major earned 24 honors at the Knoxville American Advertising Federation (AAF) awards.

Senior Kara Wegner earned a Gold Addy Award for her work on Land of Ice and Fire and a Silver Addy Award for Indelible Faces. Graphic design major Ndigi Gichingiri took home a Gold Addy for Burnt Out. Sarah Melancon and Hanna Dice both earned Silver Addys.

Advertising majors who earned Bronze Citations of Excellence included: Alyssa Brown, Madison Cullen, Lauren Friend, Wendy Harmon, Anna House, Kristy Ilia, Yulisia Lopez, Macy Meredith, Alyssa Nichols, Jasmine Rogers, Brianna Szurpicki, and Caroline Waters. Melancon earned a Bronze Citation of Excellence in addition to her Silver Addy, and Associate Professor Courtney Childers’ ADPR 450 class was also awarded a bronze citation for their work on Delta Dental’s Delta Vision campaign.

2020 Knoxville Addy Awards

Alyssa Brown

Bronze Citations of Excellence

  • Entertain with Toys R Us
  • The Gift of Godiva

Madison Cullen

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Quaker Oats Ad

Hanna Dice

Silver Addy Award

  • Japan Passport Redesign

Lauren Friend

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Rejuvenate Your Mood

Ndigi Gichingiri (Graphic Design)

Gold Addy Award

  • Burnt Out

Wendy Harmon

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Dig Dog

Anna House

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Honey Magazine Campaign

Kristy Ilia

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Back 2 Square 1

Yulisia Lopez

Bronze Citations of Excellence

  • Portfolio (2)

Sarah Melancon

Silver Addy

  • Saltwater Brewery

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Saltwater Brewery

Macy Meredith

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Bennett Galleries

Alyssa Nichols

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • How You Can Help Brochure

Jasmine Rogers

Bronze Citations of Excellence

  • Sherwin-Williams Color Snap Brochure
  • Sherwin-Williams Color Snap App

Brianna Szurpicki

Bronze Citations of Excellence

  • Depop (2)

Caroline Waters

Bronze Citations of Excellence

  • Bennett Galleries Billboard
  • Chick-fil-A Ad

Kara Wegner

Gold Addy Award

  • Land of Fire and Ice

Silver Addy Award

  • Indelible Faces

Dr. Childers’ 450 Class

Bronze Citation of Excellence

  • Delta Dental Delta Vision Campaign

Public Relations Student Reflects on Classes, PRSSA and Why She Loves ADPR

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Victoria Johnson, a senior public relations student, serves as Vice President of Membership for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and is in the Chancellor’s Honors Program. She is currently completing her final semester at UT, and took time to reflect upon the opportunities, involvement and what ADPR has done for her.

“So many people in the college are just so willing to help,” Johnson said. “The classes are setting students up for success and there are so many different experiences like having the Salesforce Social Studio and various study abroad programs.”

During her sophomore year, Johnson participated in the CCI Global Scholars study abroad program where she went to work a PR internship in Australia. Her internship opened up many opportunities for work and involvement in Knoxville.

Johnson has been involved in UT’s PRSSA chapter as both a member and officer, as well as gained internship experience abroad and domestically. She was able to get an internship at Dollywood working in entertainment public relations, the field she now hopes to work in after graduation, because of her ADPR experiences.

“We’re always learning and growing as people and having the professors and students that have supported me in ADPR have been a total game changer,” Johnson said. “Though I haven’t settled on what exactly I want to do post-graduation, my internships and classes from UT are setting me up to get me exactly where I want to go.”

Johnson can’t wait to see what the future holds with the support and professional development she’s gotten from ADPR as her time is nearing the end at UT.

“Why do I love ADPR? That’s easy,” Johnson said. “It would have to be that ADPR wants to help students so much and the professors just have a heart for this, for investing in you as a person.”

ADPR Graduate Student Nicholas Sarafolean Talks Research and Future

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Growing up with a love for East Tennessee, Sarafolean described coming to the University of Tennessee for his graduate program after staying in his home state of Michigan for his undergraduate years as a “natural fit.”

“I’m currently in my fourth and final semester of the graduate program here,” Sarafolean said. “My next move is to Macquarie University in Sydney Australia to work with the Sydney Metro System which is really exciting.”

While Sarafolean has grown up and acquired many skills through the ADPR program, the knowledge of theory that he’s gained to help research and answer larger and more conceptual questions has been his favorite.

“By giving me solid grounding in methods and theory, ADPR has helped me immensely,” Sarafolean said. “ADPR is also really connected, so whenever I’ve needed advice or connections, its super easy to get someone to help with anything and everything.”

Sarafolean owes having opportunities to take classes outside of the College of Communication and Information to learn how other disciplines view methods as well as the wide range of different ideas across the campus to gaining the skills necessary for his PhD program.

“I just love ADPR at UT because of how much of a family it is,” Sarafolean said. “It’s a lot closer than other departments and I love being able to have a community that helps each other accomplish cool things.”

2020 Social Media Week: Q&A with Sookie Park (AD ’13)

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The 2020 UT Social Media Week will be held Feb. 18-20 and features social media and news professionals from near and far, including three CCI graduates. Admission is free for all six sessions, which will take place in the Communications Building.

Sookie ParkSookie Park (AD ’13) is the Director of Partnership Activation at Complexity Gaming, one of America’s premier esports organizations now headquartered in Frisco, Texas. She will speak on “esports and Marketing to the New Generation” on Thursday from 11:10 a.m.-12:25 p.m. in Scripps Lab Theater.

A native of Daegu, South Korea, Park entered the traditional sports and esports industry through the Philadelphia 76ers and Dignitas, working with partners including Pepsi, Buffalo Wild Wings, and HyperX. At Complexity, she manages all partnerships by growing relationships with clients and executing activations for the team, fans, and partners such as GameStop, US Army, and Miller Lite.

Catch Park on Twitter and Instagram @SookiePark.

What does a typical workday like for you?

My workday, without exaggeration, is never the same. Generally, a lot of my days are spent on internal and external meetings and answering emails as the point of contact for all of our brand partners, and making sure our upcoming events/activations are being prepared for a flawless execution. However, when some of our biggest and most important teams and events are being played, everything stops and the entire office is glued to our big TV in the “living room.” Perks of being on an esports team, I guess!

How do you plan and strategize social media coverage on competition days?

It all depends on the tournament and games, but everything starts with our social and design teams collaborating on photoshop templates. Templates are based on the tournament format/games. For instance, bigger tournaments like CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) usually have a set schedule and 90 percent of the time, the team will be featured on the main stream. If that’s the case, we’ll have do a robust coverage consisting of: live in an hour, live now, stream highlights of their best play, funny moments, results, etc.

For smaller scale tournaments, APEX (Legends) for example, a battle royale with a completely different format than CS:GO and we’re not guaranteed to be featured on stream. Sometimes, we’ll get featured, but nothing impactful happens so a highlight won’t be posted and coverage will be a simple — live now and end of day result.

It’s one thing to tweet for yourself and your ideas, but how do you develop a voice for your company’s social media platforms?

We have social guidelines that align with our company brand guidelines to ensure that our voice is consistent!

Why did you choose the University of Tennessee – and CCI in particular – as a student?

I’ve always wanted to study advertising and sports marketing since I was about 12 years old! When the time came for me to decide on a university, I wanted to go not only go to a school that had a stellar advertising program, but also was located somewhere that I would’ve never thought of going to. As a kid who grew up in Minnesota/Korea, Tennessee seemed like a place that would take me out of my comfort zone and would give me the opportunity to experience a new culture that I’ve never experienced before!

What are some skills you learned or experiences you had at Tennessee that have helped you on the job?

The biggest thing I learned in class was how to prepare pitches and decks! That is such an invaluable skill in account management, and as tough as that campaigns class was, it has given me so much experience in a short amount of time.

What advice do you have for students interested in going into social media professionally?

I think not just in social media, but in general, you need to figure out your brand and be active with that voice on social media, just like any brand should be doing on social media. It can be an extension of your personality, or it can literally just be about a specific topic that you are passionate about! But developing that persona is super important. Also, know what social media you should focus on for the industry that you want to be in. For the esports industry for example, Twitter is probably the biggest platform – so I’m literally on it every waking moment, catching up on news, interacting with industry folk, and excessively tweeting.

Global Programs Blog: Liza Cunningham

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Liza Cunningham is a senior advertising major who has participated in two CCI Global Programs during her college career: the CCI Global Scholars Program in Sydney, Australia, and an advertising program in Rome, Italy, led by Professor Sally McMillan. In 2020, CCI Global Programs has opportunities for students in Dublin, Ireland; Prague, Czech Republic; Quebec, Canada; Siena, Italy; Rome; and Sydney.

Liza Cunningham - Study Abroad

Early in my freshman year, I was eagerly sitting in my Advertising 250 class when an unexpected guest came to speak about the CCI Global Scholars Program in Sydney, Australia. Little did I know that Dr. Sam Swan’s informative presentation would be the initial start of a journey that would forever change my life.

I thought about the program, talked it over with my parents, and ultimately decided that it was an opportunity that would be crazy for me to pass up. I committed to the program in early February of my freshman year, meaning I would be set to leave America and head to the Land Down Under for spring semester of my sophomore year.

Through the CCI Global Scholars Program, I took two courses at the University of Sydney: intercultural communications and Australian history. These courses challenged me to become interculturally competent and expanded vital communication skills that I possessed prior to the start of the program.

Not only did I gain valuable insight into the communications field through coursework, but I was also given the chance to intern at a full-service communications agency for eight weeks. Cardinal Spin, my internship placement, allowed me to gain a new sense of independence and skills that are sure to translate into a workplace setting for any future career.

Cardinal Spin specializes in public relations and VIP/celebrity engagement, which allowed me to be part of large-scale events such as the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival with over 400,000 attendees, the New South Wales Premier’s (comparable to a governor in America) Harmony Dinner, and the Sydney Film Festival. I got the chance to work in the Sydney Film Festival Office as a liaison between film distributors and journalists for the second half of my internship placement. Additionally, I was able to assist in the promotion of various restaurant openings, work press conferences, and attend various art collectives, which allowed me to see the importance of the media tracking I had been working on, in addition to collating CRM systems.

Not only did I gain priceless hands-on experience in a workplace setting, but I also learned so much more about myself than I ever expected. When I am placed outside of my comfort zone, I have come to realize that I am my favorite version of myself: happy, hard-working, outgoing, goofy, and most importantly I am self-aware of my emotions, my values, and my behaviors.

With confidence, I can state that I gained a new sense of self-worth. I tried vegemite, pet kangaroos, learned to surf, fed stingrays, completed gorgeous coastal walks and hikes, and learned to say “Maccas” when referring to McDonald’s. My study abroad experience in Sydney, Australia helped me uncover skills I never knew I had, grow on the skills I already possessed, and obtain relationships I didn’t know I needed.

The friendships I gained from the CCI Global Scholars Program, both in Sydney and in my hometown here in Knoxville, are sure to last beyond graduation. Leaving Sydney was heartbreaking, and I will never forget how my time there helped to shape me as a person.

As a junior, I really started to miss studying abroad. It was a break from my normal routine. It was exciting, fun, and — at times — terrifying, but I loved the thrill of it all.

In the fall semester, I started to feel a bit uneasy with the fact that my life in Australia was so different than my life in Knoxville. After hearing Dr. Sally McMillan speak about a summer 2019 advertising issues class in Rome, I knew another opportunity for growth had come my way. Thankfully, I was able to obtain a CCI scholarship that allowed me to make this dream possible.

After the end of my junior year at UT, I packed my bags and looked forward to my adventures in Italy.

Liza Cunningham - Study Abroad

A few of the highlights from my trip included a cooking class (where I learned how to cook homemade pasta, pesto, and tiramisu), seeing famous historical sites such as the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, and Vatican museums and taking weekend trips to Florence and the Amalfi Coast with friends.

I also learned a lot through my coursework by thinking outside of the confines of my home country. I was challenged to critically think from a global standpoint, work in various groups, and give presentations nearly every single class period. Never in my wildest dreams did I know that I could accomplish such detailed work in such a short amount of time, of which I am so proud of myself for doing. We, as a class, were able to utilize our observations of Italian lifestyles and apply them to what we know in the advertising industry. This kind of coursework made me certain that Advertising is the perfect major for me.

Words cannot describe how much I value my two study abroad experiences. Although they were both very different from each other, they both will forever hold a special place in my heart. I have matured, learned to laugh at my mistakes, handled uncomfortable situations, and grown in my relationships with others.

Liza Cunningham - Study Abroad

While typing this, I am in absolute awe that I am a senior, getting ready to graduate and enter the workforce. It is crazy how fast time flies, but I am so glad that I made the most of my short time here at UT by choosing to study abroad. Because of those two incredible experiences, I am much more confident preparing for my graduation and job search. I have grown in more ways than I ever thought possible, and I am so thankful to attend a school where these opportunities exist.

Thank you UT, thank you CCI, and thank you to scholarship donors. Without you, I would not be the person that I am today. I hope that by reading this, you are able to know the impact you have on so many students.

To students considering studying abroad, please do it. You won’t regret it. In fact, you may even end up studying abroad twice like I did.

Ciao,

Liza Cunningham

Advertising Class of 2020

 

Eric Haley Named AAA President

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Eric Haley

 

HALEY NAMED AAA PRESENT-ELECT: ADPR Professor Eric Haley was chosen President-Elect of the American Academy of Advertising (AAA), the leading international organization for the advancement of advertising scholarship,    education and practice. He is currently serving as Vice President and will assume his new role during AAA’s annual conference, March 28-31 in Dallas, Texas. Haley will serve as AAA president in 2020.

ADPR Students Take Home ADDY Awards

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Addy AwardsTwelve students from the School of Advertising and Public Relations earned 43 honors at the Knoxville American Advertising Federation (AAF) awards Saturday night.

Hannah Lagoski took home a Gold ADDY Award for her work with Inuksuit. She also earned a Silver ADDY Award, as did three other students: Madison Duncan, Ashley Hendrix and Lukas McCrary. Hendrix earned a school-leading three Silver Addys for her advertising work on The Brown Girls Guide to College, KOKOA and BLKGRLPWR.

All 12 ADPR honorees collected at least one Bronze Citation of Excellence. Additional bronze medal winners included: Matthew Art, Joan Hargett, Brooke Heinsohn, Yulisia Lopez, Nicole Maestri, Bailey Morris, Noah Shirley and Jake Wade. Heinsohn earned nine total bronze citations.

2019 KNOXVILLE ADDY AWARDS
University of Tennessee Student Award Winners

Matthew Art
Bronze Citations of Excellence (3)
– Goosewood Brewing Co. Outdoor Board
– Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain
– Disney Single Ticket Magazine

Madison Duncan
Silver Addy Award (1)
– Madison’s Portfolio
Bronze Citation of Excellence (1)
– Madison’s Portfolio

Joan Hargett
Bronze Citations of Excellence (2)
– Yes To
– WISEACRE Craft Beer Company

Brooke Heinsohn
Bronze Citations of Excellence (9)
– Jelly Photographs: eCommerce site
– Elevation Peak
– Camp Tellico T-shirt (2)
– Sounds Zesty
– Into the Abyss
– Mountain Drizzle
– Heavenly Cheers
– Aqua Goat

Ashley Hendrix
Silver Addy Awards (3)
– The Brown Girls Guide to College
– KOKOA
– BLKGRLPWR
Bronze Citations of Excellence (4)
– Saint Indigio
– Kelis – Harlem
– Kelis – Harlem (artist renovation)
– Bounty & Full

Hannah Lagoski
Gold Addy Award (1)
– Inuksuit
Silver Addy Award (1)
– Dizzy Bat

Yulisia Lopez
Bronze Citations of Excellence (6)
– Pearls Olives Print Ad (2)
– Quaker Oats Print Ad (3)
– Pearls and Quaker Oats Ads

Nicole Maestri
Bronze Citations of Excellence (4)
– Godiva Chocolate – You Deserve This
– Phoenix Pharmacy & Fountain Outdoor (3)

Lukas McCrary
Silver Addy Award (1)
– The Room
Bronze Citations of Excellence (3)
– Cumberland Streptease Improve
– Big Hair Night of Comedy
– Godiva Chocolate Ad

Bailey Morris
Bronze Citations of Excellence (2)
– Cross – Give ‘Em Your Jane Hancock
– Bass Pro – Family Style

Noah Shirley
Bronze Citation of Excellence (1)
– UnwarranTed Commercial

Jake Wade
Bronze Citation of Excellence (1)
– Phoenix Pharmacy & Fountain Outdoor Billboard

Photo Credit: Colby’s Photography

A Look Back at 2019 UT Social Media Week

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Leo MorejonMore than 420 students attended panels at the eighth annual UT Social Media Week, which was held February 26-28 in CCI’s Scripps Lab Theater and Patrick Auditorium. #UTSMW2019 also generated 59,000 impressions and over 2,000 engagements on Twitter over a two-week period.

This year’s event featured 21 guest speakers over eight sessions, including one that involved a hands-on workshop. Eight CCI classes served as official anchor classes with 14 total classes attending. Topics ranged from incivility and politics on social media to the business of running social media accounts for companies and events, to social marketing and influencers.

Leo Morejon, an adjunct instructor at West Virginia University, served as the spotlight speaker at this year’s event. His presentation focused on the much-hyped and failed work of Fyre Media, “The Fyre Festival—They Couldn’t Even Spell Fire Correctly.”

The Fyre Festival was a 2017 “luxury music festival” founded by Billy McFarland, CEO of Fyre Media Inc., and rapper Ja Rule. It was heavily promoted by celebrities who are social media influencers. The festival ended up being indefinitely postponed, and the organizers have been sued multiple times.

This year, documentaries on Hulu and Netflix have rekindled conversations about the festival fiasco.

Morejon said he sees teaching lessons in the festival’s marketing.

“The Fyre Festival has brought a lot of attention to influencer marketing and online marketing in general—and not all of it good,” Morejon said. “As a marketer, I want to shed light on the positive side of things and give people a different perspective for them to think about.” UTSMW19

Morejon is an award-winning sales leader, speaker, content creator, and educator known for his work as a pioneer in real-time social media including the Oreo Super Bowl blackout tweet and a campaign for the most likes on Facebook in a 24-hour period. After his presentation on the Fyre Festival and the importance of being honest with consumers on social platforms, he fielded questions from students about social marketing trends and platforms.

UT Social Media Week was made possible through the generous financial support of Dan and Melanie Peterson (pictured right with UT Social Media Week student ambassadors). CCI’s four schools sponsored at least one session, as did the Ad Club and the UT chapter of PRSSA. A summary of UTSMW 2019 sessions and speakers is provided below.

2019 UT SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK

Session Topics and Speakers

Session 1 – “I’m Right, you’re wrong—you stupid jerk.” Incivility toward Journalists on Social Media

Speakers: Jack Lail, Heather Harrington, Mark Harmon

 

Session 2 – Getting Social @ AC Entertainment

Speakers: Rhett Talbert, Luna Brewer, Emily Harenza

 

Session 3 – The Role of Social Media in an Evolving Political Landscape

Speaker: Michael Sullivan

 

Session 4 – Social Media: Nurturing Connections with Retargeting

Speaker & Workshop Leader: Joe Pecor

 

Session 5 – Library, Museum, and Science Organizations Social Media Innovators Panel

Speakers: Mary Pom Claiborne, Zack Plaster, Jenny Woodbery, Sarah Zimmerman

 

Session 6 – MELT Culinary: Social Media Influencers in the Age of Sports

Speakers: Jenna Cook, Tristan Watson, Snigdha Dhar

 

Session 7 – Influencing Tennessee: The Life of a Social Media Influencer

Speaker: Marianne Canada

 

Session 8 – The Fyre Festival – They Couldn’t Even Spell Fire Correctly

Speaker: Leo Morejon

Student Spotlight: Cara Hunter

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Cara Hunter is a public relations major (UTK ’19) and plans to graduate in December. Hunter currently serves as the social media intern for the School of Advertising and Public Relations (ADPR). Cara Hunter

During her time with ADPR, Hunter has worked to establish a connection with students on social media. Among her successful campaigns is the continuation of #loveADPR. Hunter has also worked behind the scenes at many events including UT Social Media Week. During UTSMW, Hunter was featured through an Instagram takeover for the @UTKnoxville handle.

Hunter is also involved with a variety of organizations on campus, such as PRSSA, Order of Omega and the Panhellenic Council by serving as the Vice President of Recruitment.

Hunter is studying abroad this summer in Rome, Italy, to learn about the influence of society on advertising. She recently received the Panhellenic Educational Enhancement Scholarship, CCI Study Abroad Scholarship, Phi Mu Kappa Scholarship and the CIE Study Abroad Scholarship to fund this experience.

“I am forever grateful for all of the wonderful opportunities that the School of Advertising and Public Relations has brought into my life,” said Hunter. “It is an incredible feeling to know that you have so many wonderful faculty and staff that truly care about their students.”

Due to both her academic and professional promise, Hunter has been nominated for multiple Chancellor’s Citation Awards.