University of Virginia Student Team Wins National Advertising Competition

June 14, 2006 -- A student team representing the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce took first place in the National Student Advertising Competition, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation and held in San Francisco June 11-13.

After finishing second two years in a row at the national AAF competition, a student team advised by Jack Lindgren, professor of banking and area coordinator for marketing, topped teams from other finalist universities. Each of the finalists won its regional contest in a series of competitions involving almost 200 universities nationwide.

“This achievement is a tremendous outcome for the students (actually now recent graduates), their families, Professor Lindgren, and all Comm School faculty and staff who taught and supported the champs,” said McIntire Dean Carl Zeithaml.

The presenting team included Jennie Averbook, Zoe Chen, Erin Fromherz, Karen Land and Cathy Sposato. Averbook, Chen, Land and Sposato graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce in May. Fromherz graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences in May.

Lindgren ’s entire class prepared for the competition during the spring semester, sending the team of five women to present a campaign developed for Postal Vault, a Dallas-based company that manufactures, sells and distributes postal and delivery receptacles designed to protect and secure mail and parcel packages. AAF asked competitors to use a combination of traditional and nontraditional forms of advertising, with an emphasis on nontraditional, to own the real estate in a consumer’s mind that Postal Vault is their brand of choice when choosing to replace or install a mailbox.

McIntire has a strong track record in the competition. In six of the past seven years, McIntire finished first regionally. In 2004 and 2005, the school won second place at the national level.

AAF ’s National Student Advertising Competition is the premier college advertising competition, providing more than 3,000 college students with real-world experience by requiring a strategic advertising/marketing/media campaign for a corporate sponsor. Schools are selected to present their campaigns to a panel of industry executives at the AAF National Conference.

Established in 1921, the McIntire School of Commerce is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. At the undergraduate level, it offers a B.S. in Commerce. At the graduate level, it offers an M.S. in Accounting and an M.S. in the Management of Information Technology. During the 2005-06 academic year, the McIntire School of Commerce enrolled 663 undergraduate students and 165 graduate students. An additional 2,100 non-Commerce students take courses at the McIntire School each year.

For more information, call Jack Lindgren at (434) 924-3414 or contact him by email.

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