Lindenwood University’s Advertising Students have been preparing all year to compete in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) in Kansas City.

NSAC is run through the American Advertising Federation (AAF). It is a graduation requirement that all students pursuing an advertising major take this year-long course and compete in Kansas City.

Advertising students are given a client with a problem in the Fall. Within a year, they have to create a fully integrated advertising campaign and pitch it to the judges at the competition.

Some clients have been Pizza Hut, Tinder, Indeed, and Snapple.

“They start with a problem, literally start with the problem of the client, and they work through the stages of how to develop an advertising campaign,” Lindenwood’s Advertising and Public Relations Program Chair Kristy Tucciarone said. “So, what they’re doing in the classroom is exactly what they will be doing in industry.”

According to Tucciarone, this competition allows her students to get hands-on experience within the advertising industry. Lindenwood strives to incorporate real experience into its academics.

“The advertising and public relations courses are very heavily driven with real-world experience,” Tucciarone said. “And the reason why we incorporate real-world into the classroom is because it’s imperative that the students can work from day one.”

This competition not only gives the students experience within the advertising industry but also gives them an advantage. These students can apply this experience and a fully integrated advertising campaign to their resume.

“I actually had an interview today with an internship, and they were asking me what kind of experience I had, and I was able to say, oh well, I know how to do this,” Lindenwood Advertising and History Major Ashlyn Trodgon said. “I know how to create a campaign or a pitch for a company. I know how to do that now because of this class and other classes I have taken at Lindenwood.”

According to Tucciarone, this competition means more to her than winning.

“The students have already won because it is very well known in our industry that if you do this competition, your resume goes in one pile, and other resumes go in another pile,” Tucciarone said. “So, the best part about this competition is the students walk away with a completely integrated campaign for their portfolio, which will get them the job when they’re interviewing.”

Lindenwood’s advertising students travel to Kansas City from April 18 to 20, 2024, and they will compete on April 18.