Department of Communication Student Advertising Team Selected for BBDO Douglass L. Alligood Award

06/06/2012 8:22 PM

By Ivy Hillman ’12

The Douglass L. Alligood Award is an annual award given by BBDO New York.  The award is designed to help fund senior capstone projects in the Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts that help students understand the need for diversity in the field of advertising and to carry forward the application of Mr. Alligood’s philosophy.  Douglass Alligood graduated from Bradley in 1956 and is currently the senior vice president for Horizontal Markets at BBDO New York. BBDO has since partnered with Bradley to offer the award.  The competitive award requires a project that incorporates research, analysis, and the creative application of communications and technology.

The members of this year’s winning team include: Christine Bare, Jacqueline Seddon, Katie Nowlan, Caitlyn Moore, Nicole Glueckert, and Lauryn Landacre. The team created a diversity campaign called “Draw.”

“It encompasses BBDO representing a blank slate and the diverse applicants and employees being the color,” Landacre said.

To win, the team had to focus on creating a competitive project that could gain real world results in business. Alligood and Bradley faculty helped guide the teams, who could get $10,000 for creating the winning project.

“We had to create a captivating campaign that was creative and showed ample research and thought,” Landacre said.

The winning team traveled to New York City from April 30 to May 2. They pitched their campaign to the CEO of BBDO, Douglass Alligood, and other executives of the agency.

Landacre saw the trip as a once in a lifetime event.   The team enjoyed spending all of one day pitching their campaign and then going to dinner with executives from BBDO.

“The trip to New York was a whirlwind! We did so much in so little time, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Landacre said.

They were also able to visit Soho and Times Square and go on the Staten Island Ferry.

As a result of the trip to New York and meeting with BBDO, Landacre secured an internship as planning intern at Energy BBDO in Chicago.  She attributes this opportunity as a direct link from the Alligood Award and Bradley University Department of Communication.