Written by Kelly Mahawanniarachchi
Pivot Creative studios, a student-run advertising agency at Harding University, and graphic design students accepted awards from the Arkansas Advertising Federation (AAF).
Pivot received the award for a video which promoted HU Heal’s GlowRun. The students received their award at the AAF gala in Brookland, Arkansas, Feb. 28. This was the first year Pivot has competed in the competition. There are seven students on the Pivot team: Addyson Prior, Allie Grace Matheny, Audie Isbell, Jackson Pschierer, Jacob Page, Tucker Allen and Ty Bates.
Matheny, a senior, commented on the team’s success.
“Attending the awards gala was an honor,” Matheny said. “It was so much fun walking up to the beautiful venue with both the HEAL and Pivot teams. Upon arrival, all I knew was that we had been invited as a Champion in the Winner’s Circle. However, by the time we left, we walked away with big smiles and a Gold Addy Award. It sure was a night to remember.”
AdFed is a national organization that recognizes creative advertising work. AAF is the state chapter, and Harding’s communication department pays students’ membership dues. Student benefits include receiving industry updates and internship opportunities. This year was the first year Pivot members have submitted work to the AAF competition. Gold “Addy” Awards are the highest level of creative excellence awarded within a category specific to the AAF’s standards.
Assistant professor of communication Lori Sloan, the faculty adviser for Pivot, commented on her role in the project.
“My role as faculty adviser is to uncover the opportunities to do creative work for various organizations/businesses on and off campus, …and to facilitate membership in organizations like AdFed and encourage these submissions for awards,” Sloan said. “Once a project is identified as feasible, we do a timeline, and then I sit back and let these talented students shine.”
Art, architecture and design department chair Stacy Gibson also attended the gala with assistant professor of art Enrique Colón and the five graphic design students who entered the competition. Abbie Durham, Anna Claire Curtis, Makayla McDonald, Kit Moore and Olivia Williams entered the AAF competition and earned two gold and one silver Addy Awards.
Durham, Curtis and McDonald entered the brand identity campaign category with designs for the Highland Zoo and won a Gold Addy Award. Moore also entered a brand identity campaign she designed for Art Trek, a Canadian nonprofit organization, and won a silver award. Williams won a gold award in the integrated marketing campaign category for her “Death by Delay” poster about the death penalty.
Gibson said the students and faculty felt welcomed and appreciated by the AAF for participating in the competition and she hopes to enter more work next year. She said she appreciates Think Ideas Studio in Searcy for encouraging the graphic design students to enter work in the AAF competition.
“As faculty, we strongly encourage students to enter competitions and portfolio reviews to see how their work stacks up against students regionally and nationally,” Gibson said.
