The hunt to find the best university graduate of advertising in half a century is accelerating.
Five Decades of Advertising Graduates is a competition that seeks to identify an outstanding advertising graduate from each of the five decades.
This year marks 50 years of Advertising Education in Australia. QUT offered the first university program in 1974, followed by UTS 16 years later and another seven universities in the following decade.
Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier said advertising has a profound impact on our culture, reflecting back our dreams and aspirations.
”We shouldn't be leaving the advertising we get to chance,” he said.
”It’s vital that we are constantly studying how it works, getting educated on how to make it better and being curious about its impact.
“For these reasons I’m incredibly pleased that we are celebrating 50 years of advertising education in Australia.”
Leigh Terry, project co-leader and CEO of IPG Mediabrands APAC, said the Australian advertising industry has been influenced by the ingenuity and creativity of its graduates.
"It's high time we honor and highlight the significant impact these advertising pioneers have had on our industry," he said.
This award allows comparison of the changes and challenges of studying and working in advertising across the five decades.
It helps to demonstrate how advertising education has changed and the important things that have stayed the same.
The award also provides insight into where that education has led advertising graduates in terms of their career and life choices and how they have made a degree of difference.
To be eligible to enter, applicants must have studied an advertising major (not a minor) at an Australian university. Plus they must have worked in the advertising industry for at least five years.
The application requires applicants to list three career highlights and sum up (in no more than 100 words) how they have used their university degree to make a difference in the advertising industry and in society.
Applicants must choose which of the five decades they graduated in: 1974-83; 1984-93;1994-03; 2004-13; 2014-23. Entries close on April 29.
Five entries from each decade will be shortlisted and the final winner from each decade will be decided mid-year by a judging panel of industry leaders and advertising academics.
The five winners will each receive an award recognising their achievement. And winners will also be asked to share their stories, presenting a history of advertising education and transformation into the industry across five decades.
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