HybridCenter & the One Show College Advertising Competition

I was just in New York City, getting to play “client” in a great competition that a group called the One Club puts on. The One Club is a nonprofit organization that celebrates excellence in advertising. In addition to an award for professional advertisers, the One Club runs the One Show College Competition that challenges students in advertising programs around the world to develop a campaign for a particular client. Last year, it was Domino Sugar. This year, they chose us, HybridCenter.org, to be the client. The result was by far a record year, as normally they get 500-600 entries, but this year they received nearly 1,000 entries for their competition.

I got to sit and be judge as 10 teams “pitched” me and a few ad execs on their print, TV, or other advertising ideas. While I saw the traditional nerves you’d expect from college kids presenting to “adults” in an international competition (I overheard one young woman after her presentation say “okay I can breathe now”), I was frankly amazed at the creativity and quality of their work (especially harkening back to the amateurish work I did as a collegian). Unfortunately, I can’t yet post the work done as we’re still working out permission issues with the students, but here are a few examples as well as I can describe them:

• A great animated cartoon done by Yoon Kyung Bae, Keri Zierler, Hoon Kim, and Austin Hilde at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (looked something like the Chevron cars claymation done by Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame) that had a “mean hybrid” having a taunting conversation with mother nature, finishing with the tag line “Not every hybrid is a friend of nature.”
• A tremendous print ad done by Chase Quarterman and Shannon Burke at Texas Creative at UT Austin had a hybrid pulled up to a gas price sign with gas prices of $2.50 and $2.50. But on the hood of the hybrid, the prices were reflected and looked like $0.85 and $0.25.  Tagline, “Hybridcenter.org—Make a Right Turn.”
• There were two “gas is obsolete” ads, one with cobwebs on the gas cap and a tagline saying “700 miles is a long time” (Hunter Sebresos, Spencer Hansen, Kyle Morgan from BYU/Provo) and  one with gas cans displayed at an antique store saying “things are changing” (Ian Tulk, Pat Donaldson, Brad Phifer, Zac Chester from University Colorado/Boulder).
• Moyeenul Alam and Juan Guzman from Miami ad school gave a compelling presentation about trying to garner attention at malls, and had a really neat idea about painting road dividers on escalator handrails with a tag for HybridCenter.

There were gnomes, painting giraffes, and so much more wonderful work as well.  Unlike last year, where winners got a check and a pat on the head and that was pretty much it, we are seriously thinking about the ways we can put these students’ submissions to use. I’m working with the One Club to get electronic versions of the submissions, and we will create a HybridCenter feature with the materials soon.  I’ll then be soliciting feedback from folks in our HybridCenter Driving Change Network as we figure out different ways to promote this great work, the students who did it, and, of course, the HybridCenter, far and wide this summer.

Posted by: ScottN

Comments

[Hunter Sebresos]

Scott,

Thanks for mentioning my work on the HybridBlog. I seem to be getting great recognition for the work I did for HybridCenter.org and i am very appreciative. Most of all it was a fun project and great to be a part of the prestigious One Show.
You can check out my portfolio at www.creativityhunter.com and my Advertising blog at www.concepthunter.blogspot.com
Thanks again.