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The Design An Ad project, celebrating 31 years, has become a major event on the school calendar.
It operates throughout Fairfax’s Australian Community Media network and involves hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and local businesses in a uniquely creative way.
Project manager, Glenis Sheldrick, has been involved in Design An Ad for 18 years and said that she is still impressed by the talent every time.
“The imagination and creativity of the students always blows me away. The high level of quality and depth of sophistication of many of the entries is amazing,” she said.
“When students focus on a local enterprise, they design something that will bring credit to both themselves and the business, increasing the bond between school and community.
“I would personally like to thank all the sponsors who support Design An Ad by providing the prize money, the businesses that give the schools the opportunity and the teachers for making time for students to participate.”
Ms Sheldrick said that when students focus on a local enterprise, they increase the bond between school and community.
How Design An Ad works:
- School students create an ad for a local business sponsor.
- The business supplies an advertising brief.
- Ads must be drawn by hand.
- Entries are sent to the sponsor business, who creates a shortlist of finalists.
- ACM judges choose the winning designs.
DESIGN AN AD SPONSOR – IMB BANK
IMB Bank is once again sponsoring the Design an Ad competition. Spokesperson Stephen Pender tells us why IMB Bank like to get involved.
Learning about life skills: The IMB Bank's products are aligned with the school banking program to teach kids how to manage their money to get the most out of it.
“We think this initiative is a great way to get kids to flex their creative muscles in a traditional way and without technological interference. Also, it connects our local community with our local business and we think that’s really important.
“There are many life skills that are learned through this process. When you create an advert for an organisation, you’re critically analysing the aspects and cause of the organisation and how it aligns with a given community of consumers.
“This critical analysis then needs to be distilled into a core idea or ideas that are prioritised – children learn a lot through this process.
“A key part of this activity is negotiation – for example which ideas are the most potent and should be carried forward. And this negotiation, if managed correctly, will teach children how to put their view forward in a way that is respectful of others.”
IMB Bank have competitive lending and deposit products as well as convenient ways to bank through branches, phone, internet and mobile apps. For children they offer savings accounts for primary school students plus savings and transaction accounts for high school and secondary school students. Also all their student banking products are aligned with a school banking program and financial literacy resources.
PRIMARY SCHOOL WINNERS
1ST
Name: Jade Hodson
Year: 5/6
School: Mt St Thomas Primary
Ad: Brailey’s First National Real Estate
Q & A with winner Jade Hodson
Why did you enter the Design An Ad competition? To try and win money for not only myself, but also my school.
What inspired your design? I imagined my family and I selling our house.
What did you enjoy about the competition? I enjoyed the challenge of having to draw certain things.
What do you hope to do when you finish school? I hope to become a doctor, vet or a dancer.
2ND
Name: Amira Rankin
Year: 6
School: Austinmer Primary School
Ad: Essential Employment and Training
3RD
Name: Emily Johnson
Year: 5
School: Austinmer Primary School
Ad: Illawarra Mercury
Winning Business – Brailey First National
Several businesses sponsored the primary school section of the Design An Ad competition and the winning ad was for Brailey First National Real Estate.
Leanne Brailey of Brailey First National Real Estate, Figtree said she sponsored Design An Ad because, “I wanted to have interaction within our community. Design An Ad gave me this opportunity.
“I thought it would be good for local students to be creative and to express their individual talents.
“Sponsoring Design An Ad gave me the opportunity to give back to the community.
“The design of the winning advertisement was concise, inviting and was easy to recognise our brand.”
Leanne would like to thank all the participating students for a job well done and looks forward to seeing the students’ reaction when the designs are displayed in the Brailey First National office in Figtree.
HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS
1ST
Name: Sophie Casali
Year: 11
School: Woonona High School
Ad: M & Michaels Footwear
Q & A with winner Sophie Casali
Why did you enter the Design An Ad Competition? My friend Madelina Camilleri won the competition last year. She is in my art class and she encouraged me to participate in the competition.
What inspired your design? I am an exchange student from Verona in Italy. I have been here for four months and I love the beautiful Wollongong landscape, which inspired my design. I especially love how the mountains and the seaside meet and blend together. My ideas also came from the exploring the M + Michaels website. The shoes they displayed online were very extravagant and creative.
What did you enjoy about the competition? I love drawing and challenging myself to create something original. I enjoyed following the guidelines of the brief and working through a set of drafts until I came up with the final design.
What do you hope to do when you finish school? I’d like to use my creative skills to explore cinema and film making. I see films as a form of poetry in which a range of ideas can be symbolised on the screen.
2ND
Name: Jorgia Camilleri
Year: 11
School: Woonona High School
Ad: Harrigan Ford
3RD
Name: Lauren Robinson
Year: 7
School: Albion Park High School
Ad: Dapto Leagues
Winning business – M & Michaels Footwear
SEVERAL businesses sponsored this high school section of the Design An Ad competition and the winning ad was for M & Michaels Footwear.
When asked why he sponsored Design An Ad, Ben Porcheddu owner of M & Michaels Footwear said, “I wanted to support local schools and give back to the community.
“I thought it would be good for local students to give them an insight into local business and marketing.
“Sponsoring Design An Ad gave me the opportunity to expose my business to local students and parents which are my target market. I am also hoping that it will direct new customers to M & Michaels Footwear.
“The design of the winning advertisement took my eye immediately – the style was very clever and unique and really made you think of Wollongong with the Lighthouse and the Mountains to the Sea theme.”
Ben would like to thank all participating students for a job well done!