Bloomington Ad Club takes annual trip to visit Chicago agencies
Bloomington Ad Club was eager to head back to Chicago for its annual networking event. This trip allows club members to gain insights and advice from professionals in some of Chicago’s finest advertising agencies. President Joe Glauber and events coordinator Danielle Boufford were able to secure the same hotel as last year and three wonderful stops for 30 students and senior lecturer Craig Wood.
The club returned to Social Deviant after a successful visit last year and an enlightening talk from CEO Marc Landsberg during a club meeting in October. It was exciting to see the growth and changes that have occurred within the agency over the course of the year. Social Deviant calls itself the “modern agency for modern brands” and continues to provide its clients with astounding work. The club was fortunate enough to hear from a creative director and a head strategist who welcomed the students back with a fun presentation and challenge. They had the students split into groups and come up with a tactic and slogan for CareerBuilder. After the brainstorming session, students were then asked to share their ideas with the group. Students came up with wonderful and innovative concepts in a short amount of time
Next, students visited Starcom and Spark Foundry. They toured both these agencies and saw the new Spark office. It was wonderful to hear IU alumni share experiences and talk about their transitions from school to Starcom or Spark. They showed the students some of their impressive work with Keebler, REI and more. Their internship opportunities and media associate roles seemed to appeal to most of the juniors and seniors who are searching to secure a job.
The last stop was new for Ad Club: an independent agency called Cramer-Krasselt. The students got a tour of the modern office and talked with a panel of four employees. The panel had insightful comments and a lot of great advice. Students also got to view a highlight reel that included projects with fun brands such as Corona and Nikon.
The group left Friday with a larger network, insights into gaining a job in this industry, information on when to apply and much more. We are looking forward to seeing this trip continue for many years to follow. A special thanks to Ad Club executives and Wood for making this trip possible again.