University of Alabama advertising and public relations students Katie Bell, Willow Ennen and Arianna Straggas had their advertising campaign selected to air nationally by Fox Sports U.
Bell, of Memphis, Ennen, of San Francisco, and Straggas, of Waltham, Massachusetts, worked to develop copy, graphics and creative ideas for their campaign.
Their group won and was asked to help produce the ad, which will air through January and the end of the NFL season on three Fox networks.
The campaign, titled “Fox Sports Supports PCA,” is a commercial created in conjunction with Fox Sports and the Positive Coaching Alliance’s national campaign to promote positive coaching and a relaxed atmosphere for youth sports. To view the ad, click here.
“The class was a great challenge because it allowed us to combine all of our collective strengths for a well-rounded, finished project,” said Bell. “In addition to the challenge, we had the twist of working with a nonprofit which pushed us to be even more effective.”
“It was such an awesome opportunity to work with a client as big as Fox Sports U,” said Straggas. “It was a bigger scale and the nonprofit aspect, made it a ‘do good, feel good’ project.”
The campaign was produced for the students’ advertising campaigns class, APR 424. This experiential learning course provides an opportunity for student collaboration and thinking “outside the box” through planning, completing and executing a complete advertising campaign.
Course instructors Dr. Kenon Brown and Randall Huffaker work to make the course realistic with clients like Fox Sports U.
“This commercial was truly a culmination of the hard work and dedication that these students brought to the table the entire semester for a major, national client,” said Brown. “It is so encouraging for them to see that the final result of their efforts actually matters because they can always go back to this and say, ‘You know what, I’m actually good at this job.’ That confidence will stick with them long-term.”
The Positive Coaching Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the youth sports culture into a “Development Zone” where all youth and high school athletes have a positive, character-building experience that results in better athletes and better people. Fox Sports U is a program developed to enhance the academic experiences of collegiate students while reinforcing Fox Sports Commitment to communities across the nation.
The department of advertising and public relations is a part of UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences.