Faculty Members Win at Cannes Advertising Festival
Richman and Zamiar teach Advertising for Creatives, part of SCS’ post-baccalaureate business program. And like most SCS faculty, they work in the industry and bring real-world insights and experience: both are with the Chicago office of DDB, a storied advertising and communications firm whose global network of offices took home a record 93 Lions across in 2013.
The award is more proof that SCS’ Advertising for Creatives program may be one of the best places to learn from real agency professionals about the creative process. The course prepares students for multiple roles within an agency or corporate environment and helps them develop a professional network.
“There is a direct correlation between the creativity of an advertisement and its effectiveness,” explains Zamiar. “Cannes highlights the year’s most cutting edge work, something that is important for advertising students and professionals alike to be aware of and and try to improve on if they want to stay competitive in this field.”
In Richman and Zamiar’s winning Skittles ad, a young man is at his grandmother’s house, sitting near a table filled with small figurines. One of the small statues speaks to him, urging him to throw it to the ground with the promise it will turn into piles of Skittles. Viewers are invited to click on the other figurines, but they may not be as lucky. (To see what happens, check out the ad on YouTube.) The interactive ad contrasts a certain harmless nerdiness with a surreal scene of visceral smashing and vivid colors that reinforce Skittles’ brand and extend themes found in the company’s other ads.
“It’s great to make something people like, something you can point to and be proud to say, ‘I made that,’ — an ad that people like, as opposed to something they just skip,” says Zamiar. “But at the end of the day, it simply just feels good to receive an award for doing something you love.”