Aug. 6, 2007 -- Siobhan Cleary (McIntire ’07) might have just finished walking the Lawn, but she’s already making waves in the real world. Cleary, who graduated with concentrations in marketing and management, was recently named one of Advertising Age magazine’s “40 under 40.”

“All of us at McIntire take great pride in Siobhan’s recognition by such a highly respected source in the advertising industry,” says McIntire Dean Carl Zeithaml. “Our marketing and advertising program, led by Professor Jack Lindgren, is characterized by excellence and innovation, and it has an established and outstanding record of success in national competition.”

“Unprecedented responsibility and bold decision making” are the signature qualities of this year’s group of 40 under 40 honorees, according to Advertising Age. Moreover, the magazine says, “they’re finding new ways to make the Web work, developing ecofriendly messages, fitting into lifestyle niches, and building on demographic and cultural connections as they reinvent media and marketing.”

Cleary acted as a presenter on the University of Virginia’s nationally recognized team at this year’s National Student Advertising Competition, held by the American Advertising Federation. The team’s campaign focused on building Coca-Cola Classic’s brand strength among multicultural 13- to 24-year-old consumers, as well as increasing consumption in that demographic.

“We focused our efforts on creating a more interactive coke.com experience to increase the relevance of the brand to this target group,” Cleary says.

Cleary, 22, will join advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather in August. Reflecting on the experience of preparing for the fiercely competitive AAF contest, she says, “I couldn’t have asked for better training.”