All posts by adbareadmin

Career Advice, Events, Industry News, Internships, Teachers

What if you could know these things?

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What if you could get some sort of insight into the key qualities and skills an ad agency looks for from a Macleay College grad. What if you could understand in advance just how valuable an internship is within an ad agency – even if you’re not at first getting paid?  What if these answers were available ahead of time from the very people who make the decisions that help guide the future career opportunities for Macleay College grads? Wouldn’t knowing just these answers be very powerful career information?

Well, these and a handful of other questions were one’s I was able to ask of the Ad Industry at the recent Media Federation Australia ( MFA) “Lecture The Lecturer” conference in Sydney.  Along with my fellow Macleay College lecturer Cameron Horn the MFA took us on a journey of presentations and workshops that helped the educators understand what the ad industry requires for their grads of the future. For the tertiary providers, we were encouraged to provide feedback on how we work closely with our students to equip them with the skills, knowledge and industry experience to meet the challenges of the advertising world beyond 2018.

 

MFA Industry Panel Members
MFA Industry Panel Members: Steven Burt – UM; Danielle LeToullec – OMD; Marcho echo – Bohemia

 

The value of an internship

 “Anyone who has actual working knowledge of the industry when being interviewed for a job at UM has a considerable advantage and grabs our attention. As the industry grows there’s an increase in the needs for requirements of basic levels of foundation skills and knowledge of the ad agency industry.”
Gemma Beeley – Universal Media Digital Lead ; MFA Interactive Board member

Agencies take internships very seriously and encourage grads / students to be part of internships. As an intern you may not initially be paid a full time equivalent wage, but the BIG ground shaker is this:  Around 8 in 10 internships lead to a full time position. Internships lead to great workplace opportunities via exposure to the agency operations and eco systems.

 

The key qualities and skills required

What are those unique skills or qualities an ad agency requires as a minimum that sets you apart from another grad applying for a position in their company?

    • Passion – a degree of some sort combined with a knowledge of the industry beyond just the basics
    • Ambition – to do and go that extra beyond the degree. Get your own Google Certification; working pro bono on a campaign for a charity are just a start
    • Curiosity and initiative – At Macleay College we can train skill but curiosity and initiative goes beyond the trainable skills. Seek, look, follow, question.

 

The advertising eco system is changing

What did I learn from the MFA’s industry insights? Media agency roles have changed and continue to evolve with agencies now becoming consultants and advisors as well as solving specific client issues. Understanding the nuances of agencies, the fluidity of their roles and client requirements, then giving these understandings to our grads is vital across all areas of our Macleay College curriculum is vital. It’s something we strive to equip you with throughout each and every one of your learning experiences with us.

 

David-Rogerson
By David Rogerson
Lecturer in Advertising, Digital Media and Business Entrepreneurship

Excursions

Media Strategy and Planning at Bohemia

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It was a pleasure to be talking all things Disruption with guest lecturer Award winning Strategy Director Rebecca Alexander from Bohemia Group.

The students toured the agency and then spent time with Rebecca talking about disruption in media with practical sessions throughout. Disruptive people, companies and media campaigns.

We have some brilliant ideas for pet food should any clients out there be looking for the next big thing!

Thanks to Bohemia for the kind hospitality and to Rebecca for the amazing and very real experience.

 

Rebecca-Hamilton
By Rebecca Hamilton
Strategic Media Planning Lecturer, Advertising & Media

AdGrads, Featured Work

Congrats to our latest AdGrads!

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Congratulations to the graduating Bachelor of Advertising and Media students who successfully presented their Major Projects to a panel of industry judges.

Judges Adam Ross and Louise Chamberlain with Major Project student Rowan Slade
Judges Ian Thomson, Louise Chamberlain and Adam Ross with Major Project students Mtthew Fiacchi, Sophie Robertson, Grace Cooper, Adriana Kind and Alana Taylor-Benn

Major Project is the capstone unit of the Bachelor of Advertising and Media and prepares graduating students as they launch themselves into the industry. Based on their skills and passions, students are asked to plan, manage and execute all the stages of an original piece of work, to a high professional standard. The project can be: creative (print, audio, moving image etc); a digital media project (app, game, web, video, animation, interactive, social media):  strategic media project; or a marketing or account management project.

The students proudly presented the following works:

MatthewFiacchi-SpectrumMatthew Fiacchi developed Spectrum, a queer wellness app designed to improve quality of life for queer people of all backgrounds. The app provides unique information and resources that help users connect, learn and navigate difficult mental health issues. 

ataylor-benn_DilemmialsDillemials is a positive psychology, social media platform for millennials developed by Alana Taylor-Benn. The platform encourages users to share their thoughts, feelings and anxieties within a supportive digital community.

 AdrianaKind_study choices app2Adriana Kind created a careers and study advice app for prospective tertiary students. The app assists young adults in finding relevant study information and career advice after graduating from high school.

Grace Cooper - Your VibeYour Vibe is a health and safety campaign targeted at young music festival attendees. The brainchild of Grace Cooper, the campaign addresses the topic of drug and alcohol safety in a fun and engaging manner.

Sophie Robertson - Foodface1Sophie Robertson developed FoodFace, a full-service food sharing app that helps people make the most out of cooking. The app encourages users to share recipes, advice, reviews and dining experiences.

Rowan Slade - RealityTVvsFantasy1Reality TV vs. Fantasy TV is a beautifully executed art piece for young women, that represents the contrast of reality and fantasy. The work was installed on campus by Rowan Slade, and encouraged audiences to interact with the work, by taking a seat and a sharing selfie.

The judges were blown away by the level of creativity and innovation showcased by these talented students and are excited to see what’s next for them as they enter the industry.

If you are interested in a career in Advertising and Media, Macleay College is currently enrolling for the trimester 2, starting on May 28th.

Click here for more information.

Featured Work, Student Projects

“FALL IN LOVE WITH A PROBLEM, NOT A SPECIFIC SOLUTION.”

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This statement by Laura Javier has been front-of-mind as we explored Opportunity-Based Learning (OBL) in the Creative Process unit as part of the Advertising & Media course at Macleay College, culminating in a creative pitch to the Creative Director, Cherie Davies of Sudler & Hennessey.

The creative solutions – borne from a fast-paced OBL workshop – were well-received by Cherie who recognises the value of responding to a ‘problem-based’ question as it requires us to dig deeper to uncover a clear insight.

During the 1-hour workshop, the small cohort of students researched the question posed; determined an insight; and reframed the original question with this insight. The workshop included empathy maps, triangulated research, user-centred design and design thinking techniques.

The students then worked in groups to develop their prototypes and iterate their concepts. They were grateful for the opportunity to present their mixed media campaign solutions at the Sudler & Hennessey advertising agency in Sydney.

“Presenting to a Creative Director of Cherie’s standing was a daunting yet beneficial experience and the feedback we obtained was invaluable – not only to the current assignment, but also how I’ll approach future campaigns”, said Macleay College advertising student Jamie-Lee Carter.

Cherie shared a snapshot of her stellar career journey since completing Award School in 2006, then offered some useful tips, especially in relation to hunting through creative briefs for the kernel of an idea, and the importance of a key insight and big idea that can be extended across multi channels and executions.

Recently nominated to Judge at Cannes Lions* 2018, we’re extremely grateful for the time Cherie invests in our programs at Macleay. Our partnership with agencies like Sudler & Hennessey supports our commitment to preparing our students for purposeful employment in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world.

*Cannes Lions is the world’s largest festival and awards for the creative and marketing communications, entertainment, design and tech industries.

Macleay College’s industry and innovation focused advertising and media courses are currently enrolling for the mid-year intake (starts on the 28th May). For more information, click here!

 

Jules-Brooker

By Julieann Brooker
Creative Process Lecturer, Advertising & Media

Featured Work, Positive Education, Student Articles

Positive Psychology workshop with Louise Tidmand

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POS-ED-8

I previously studied at Macleay College and have come back after 3 years to finish my degree in Advertising. There are a lot of things that have changed but one of the things that I looked forward to was the subject on Positive Psychology.

It was a pleasant surprise to know that Macleay had introduced this new subject and I wasted no time in signing up for it. I had no clue about what it would entail, but from the title itself I knew that it would be a fundamental class that would shape me to be a better person and innovator.

And I wasn’t wrong.

Positive Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. It is founded on the belief that people want to lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Through our classes, we have been learning unconventional ways of thinking in order to reduce the stresses accumulated from everyday life and to open our minds and be more creative. In my opinion it is a revolutionary movement that tackles the alarming growth of anxiety, depression and lack of self-fulfilment in people.

Louise Tidmand generously volunteered her time to the students of Macleay College, specifically those who were studying Positive Psychology. She shared her insight and research on the idea of teaching life coping skills to students and adults. She described it as the process of learning how to deal with stress which greatly varies from how you react to it.

When Louise presented her findings on the growing rate of depression and anxiety in adults and teens it resonated within myself as I have experienced the severity of these mental illnesses through close encounters. She highlighted that the traditional ways of addressing these illnesses, which often focus on negatives, are not enough to build a resilient foundation in our society. She showcased the tools she had created to get someone into the positives on the scale of happiness. It was very inspiring to see that there are people who are taking action to make a better change in the world.

In her presentation, Louise engaged with the audience with fun clapping routines and asking us simple but thoughtful questions to promote altruism. For e.g. What can you do to make someone happy? And what can you say to make someone happy?

I am so grateful for the chance to gain new wisdoms from Louise. It is so motivating to see that the studies of positive psychology are spreading to affect the lives of the people around us in a life-changing way.

 

 

 

 

By Patricia Tamayo
Bachelor of Advertising & Media