Dallas, TX – Contributed – Several students at Arkansas State University recently traveled to Dallas to compete in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), gaining real-world experience beyond the classroom while presenting their campaigns to the National Football League (NFL).
Organized by the American Advertising Federation, NSAC allows students to develop and present professional-level advertising campaigns for a national client. This year, the NFL served as the client, providing students with a real-world marketing case study.
The competition included participation from assistant professor Leslie Parker’s spring graphic design class of 22 students. Eleven students traveled to Dallas to represent A-State in the competition.
Student teams researched the brand and its audience, then developed a comprehensive advertising campaign tailored to the client’s needs. Their efforts culminated in a formal pitch to a panel of industry professionals.
Throughout the semester, the team demonstrated strong collaboration, strategic thinking and creative execution.
“Participating in NSAC was a lot of work, but it was 100% worth it,” said student Emily Briones.
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This marked the first year A-State students participated in the competition, and their efforts were recognized as they returned to Jonesboro with the Jeanie Ruedy Spirit Award. Participant Megan Smith said she hopes the team’s success and experience will help pave the way for future students to attend.
“NSAC was an incredibly rewarding experience that pushed me to grow both personally and professionally,” Smith said. “It was a lot of work, but that challenge motivated us to be the best we could be. I encourage future students to take part because it is absolutely worth it.”
Parker said it was rewarding to watch the students grow throughout the experience.
“I was so happy to see our students step out of their comfort zones and take on this challenge with such enthusiasm and poise,” Parker said. “I know the experience was incredibly impactful for them. I hope their success inspires future students from all majors to join the A-State chapter of the American Advertising Federation and participate in NSAC in the future.”
The students who traveled to Dallas to compete in the NSAC competition are listed below:
- Dalton Adams, a senior creative media production major from Harrison.
- Emily Briones, a senior graphic design major from Bryant.
- Victoria Mantz, a senior graphic design major from Lake Village.
- Trin Reppenhagen, a senior graphic design major from Searcy.
- Kai Reynolds, a junior graphic design major from Little Rock.
- Brittian Roleson, a senior graphic design major from Paragould.
- Nicte Sanchez, a senior digital technology and design major with an emphasis in mobile application development from Mexico City, Mexico.
- Nathan Scarbrough, a junior graphic design major from Jonesboro.
- Megan Smith, a senior graphic design major from Cabot.
- Lydia Strickland, a senior graphic design major from Cape Girardeau, MO.
- Teagan Weaver, a junior English major from Jonesboro.
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