In 2014, I was sponosored by BBDO to take part in an advanced advertising studies course run by Northwestern Univeristy's Medill School of Communication and the 4A's. The course lasted 3 months and it consisted of weekly lectures by some of the brightest minds in the Chicago advertising industry (agency CEO's, CCO's, university professors, brand managers). On top of the 'class' aspect of the program we were also divided into 6 teams, all of which consisted of advertising professionals in their 20's, to competively 'pitch' for the DIVVY bicycle business.

 

The class was a great experience because I was able to wear multiple hats and use my experience as an agile account manager in a fully integrated agency and a sr.account exec working on world-class brands to help drive the startegic and creative work we were developing. I was heavily involved in the strategy devleopment along with our team planner, I was able to write the copy for all of our static ads and I even edited the pitch video myself (It's rough, I know but not bad for an account guy!). To say the experience was worthwhile is an understatement.

 

I led the presentation of the deck below along with our planner and media exper, we presented not only to the DIVVY client but to a room filled with some of the top executives in the Chicago advertising scnee.