No need to land an internship at an advertising agency to learn the ropes and get your hands on real-world clients. One glance at the semester’s syllabus for Advertising Campaigns (ADVRT 4340) and students quickly realize it’s unlike any they’ve taken before in the Greenlee School.
Rather than weekly assignments, quizzes and tests, the course is designed to emulate an agency setting. Students in the course are split into two agencies, complete with positions each individual must apply for and a real-world client that they’re all competing to exceed expectations.
The 400-level course integrates everything the undergraduates are expected to learn from Greenlee’s advertising curriculum. It gives them a chance to showcase strategic thinking, creativity and teamwork through the campaigns. The course outcomes are research results, comprehensive integrated marketing communications plans and final presentations for the client.
This year’s Advertising Campaigns class set a new standard and historic first for Greenlee. They worked throughout the semester with an international client based in Urbino, Italy. The students developed campaigns for two luxury tourism properties: Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo and Palazzo Giusti Suites and Spa. The venues are owned by Marianna Bruscoli.
To kick off their assignment, the class virtually met with Bruscoli and her team at the beginning of this fall semester. They gained insights about Bruscoli’s businesses and related integrated marketing communication needs.
“My experience working with Greenlee students has been very positive. Since the beginning, from the start, we were impressed by their enthusiasm and professionalism,” Bruscoli said.
As the semester progressed, students attended class lectures, conducted market research, critiqued each other’s work, wrote a research report, met with Associate Teaching Professor Catherine Huggins for regular one-on-one sessions, participated in weekly client virtual meetings, developed an integrated marketing communications plan, and finally presented their findings to the client and a panel of Iowa State judges.
The judges included Michael Dahlstrom, the director of the Greenlee School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and dean’s professor; Huggins, instructor for the course; and Benjamin Withers, Liberal Arts and Sciences dean and professor of history.
“I was so pleased to serve as a judge for the advertising competition created by Professor Huggins. Her Greenlee students impressed me with their polish and professionalism. Not only did they show mastery over the material, but the way they navigated the challenge of working with an international client was particularly impressive,” Withers said.
Huggins has taught Greenlee campaign courses since 2015. She has brought in real-life clients such as NASCAR, Musco Sports Lighting, Kreg Tool, Rhythms of Grace, Terrace Hill – (Governor’s Mansion), Women Lead Change, Collins Aerospace, and Guitar Satchel. These experiences shape students’ careers for short-and-long term.
She said Deni Chamberlin was “instrumental in bringing this client to Greenlee for this semester. Deni met with Marianna Bruscoli in Urbino, Italy, earlier this year. It was only through her foresight and connection with Marianna, that this historic effort was possible.”
Chamberlin teaches a digital photography study abroad program every other year in Urbino and was there in spring 2024.
The two student agencies, Global Summit Agency and Golden Heritage Agency, both participated in final presentations on Dec. 12 in the Student Innovation Center. Bruscoli and her team virtually attended and were deeply impressed by each agency’s results.
“The students showed a solid understanding of our properties/companies and were able to apply their knowledge in creative ways. What stood out was their effective approaches, which were full of fresh, innovative ideas and the ability to work for an international client,” Bruscoli said.
She continued describing the partnership, “The final results have been amazing by highlighting their ability to collaborate, think critically, and communicate well. We were also impressed by how open they were to feedback and how they used it to improve their work. I’m looking forward to working with you [Greenlee] again and seeing how they continue to develop in the future.”
“This in-class experience was unique and memorable. Not only did it give each team the chance to work hands-on with our international clients, but it served as an incredible learning opportunity for all parties involved,” said Isabel Monaco, senior in advertising and leader of Golden Heritage Agency.
Huggins is already securing the client for Greenlee’s PR 4240 (Public Relations Campaigns) course in the spring semester. “It’s going to be tough to top having a global client and one who so thoroughly embraced the students as well as their creative efforts. However, I’m confident once we name the PR client in early 2025, course participants will be excited and ready to hit the ground running,” Huggins said.