The student advertisers impressed judges with their campaign pitch for AT&T.
The University of Minnesota's National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team has brought home several awards from the National Finals in Pittsburgh. Nearly 100 universities from across the U.S. participated in this year’s competition, which was sponsored by AT&T.
In addition to the overall second-place finish, the University of Minnesota earned the following awards:
- Connection Q&A Award went to Brian Edwards
- SalesFuel’s Best Use of Marketing Research Award
“This team has so much heart. From day one, they showed a passion for the work, a competitive spirit, and love for each other,” said Rich McCracken, faculty advisor and lecturer at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “They continuously pushed themselves, and each other, with determination and grace. And they had a lot of fun along the way.”
The client challenge from AT&T asked students to build brand consideration and favorability among Gen Z while using the existing tagline, “Connecting Changes Everything.”
Minnesota’s pitch pushed beyond the omnipresence of “connection” in the category and celebrated how AT&T can be an ally for Gen Z experiencing change and growth in early adulthood. The campaign theme, “Dare To,” demonstrated how change can be exciting (and not always scary) when you have some certainty by your side.
NSAC is an annual competition run by the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Each year, universities across the country compete, taking on a challenge from a blue-chip client. The University of Minnesota has been competing for almost fifty years, providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for the professional space.
“Advertising is a team sport,” said Rich McCracken. “In NSAC, students with different skill sets learn to work together in a demanding yet collaborative environment as one highly functioning team.” The University of Minnesota finished in fifth place in 2022 and fourth place in 2023.
Alex Chrislu, a senior and three-time national finalist, said, "Ending my college experience with this team and this campaign was something I’ll never forget. Watching 22 of the most driven and creative people bring our vision to life reminded me why I always come back to NSAC."
Applications for the ‘25/’26 NSAC team will open in mid-September. Twenty students will be selected for the University of Minnesota team. "To be recognized on a national level is an amazing honor, said Alex. “The real win was working alongside such brilliant, kind, and passionate people. This team made every challenge worth it."
2025 University of Minnesota NSAC Team
Leadership Group: Alex Chrislu, Lauren Murphy, Abby Meitrodt, Cole Blackett
Strategy: Maja Maunsbach, Lilly Whiteside, Maddy Miller, Rhana Elhassan, Abby Stephan, Julia Miller, Maggie Poulos
Creative: Sadie Quimby, Katelyn Henning, Bryn Donovan, Sofia Frank, Janet Xiong, Jake Rhode, Jessica Chung
Media: Truong Vu, Brian Edwards, Shae Horning, Martina Kochnitcharska