For the sixth time in eight years a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student advertising team has won the annual 2010 International Advertising Association’s (IAA) National inter-University ‘Big Idea’ competition.

 

Lecturer in advertising at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, Ms Anne Llewellynn, said, “This is a fantastic achievement of which the students and I are very proud. I was delighted when our two Kajulu Communications teams - Kajulu Red and Kajulu Blue - were announced as finalists, and to now win the 2010 national competition shows again that our students consistently perform at the highest level and are work-ready when they graduate.”

 

The IAA (Australia Chapter) invites two teams from all IAA-accredited tertiary institutions around Australia to submit an industry-standard professional campaign presentation for an Australian charity or not-for-profit organisation. In 2010 the client was the outback charity Frontier Services. The three finalist teams then presented their recommendations to the IAA committee and judging panel in the boardroom of one of Sydney’s biggest advertising agencies, Clemenger BBDO, on Monday 8 November. The national champions, Kajulu Blue, were announced that night.

 

CSU’s Kajulu Communications advertising teams have now won the annual national competition six times since its inception in 2003, and have also won the international InterAd World Advertising Championship award three times since 1999.

 

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of CSU, Professor Lyn Gorman, said, “It is wonderful to see the national success of another Kajulu team in the annual IAA competition. The successive national wins, and the success of Charles Sturt University advertising student teams in the IAA’s international competitions, confirms the exceptionally high standards and industry-readiness of these students. My congratulations go to them and to their lecturers.”

 

The students in the champion 2010 Kajulu Blue team are Mr Chris Colter (Team Leader), Mr Ryan George, Ms Claire Crennan, Ms Asha Schulz, Ms Philippa Gray, Ms Sophie Carrad, and Ms Missy Dempsey, the team’s student graphic designer from CSU in Wagga Wagga.

 

Dr Peter Simmons, the Associate Head of the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries, said, “The 2010 IAA national title is a very fitting reward for these students and their lecturers who have all worked hard to achieve a professional national standard.

 

“For the newly-formed School of Communication and Creative Industries it is especially pleasing, and we’re all very proud of them, as the entries benefited from the inclusion of graphic design students based at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. The School continues to provide degree education that allows students to innovate, while teaching them important critical and strategic thinking for success in life. And they love what they do.”

 

Ms Llewellynn said the IAA extended its congratulations to both CSU teams and acknowledged their respective excellent efforts.

 

“In announcing the winner, the President of the IAA Australia Chapter, Ms Heather Leembruggen, said the Kajulu Blue team made an extremely professional presentation, and Mr Tim Parker, Chair of the judging panel, acknowledged the strength of Kajulu Blue’s recommendations and strategy,” she said. “We were told it was a very close decision, so congratulations also to Kajulu Red for their outstanding presentation and for being one of the three finalist teams.