UTRGV broke its record for student submissions into the national level of the American Advertising Federation Awards, with two students winning three Gold ADDYs at the district level.
“To see three of our student entries make it to nationals is a strong statement of the quality of our students, our faculty and our programs,” said Kimberly Selber, a mass communication associate professor, co-adviser of the Ad Club and the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the AAF Awards chair.
The AAF Awards is a three-tiered competition that includes local, district and national levels. Entries that win a Gold ADDY are automatically advanced and those with a Silver ADDY can pay a fee to submit their entry into the next level. The deadline for students to submit their work was Jan. 27.
“It’s a very prestigious competition,” Selber said. “It’s just you have to start at the local level.”
Professional and student entries are entered in separate competitions and split up between geographic districts.
UTRGV students are in the Tenth District, which includes participants from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. There were 16 students that won a Gold ADDY in the Tenth District, according to Selber.
Kyara Valdez, a UTRGV alumnus, was awarded a Gold ADDY for her app “Moody.”
“[It is] a concept for a lifestyle app that I’d like to create in the future,” Valdez said. “It’s an app that allows users to log their feelings every day. It encourages users to keep track of good mental health habits like journaling or meditation.”
Andres “Max” Trejo, a visual communication senior, won the other two Gold ADDYs.
His app “ATLAS” won in the “App (mobile or web-based)” and the “Digital Creative Technology” categories.
The app combines the functions of crypto and NFT wallets with a social media platform. “ATLAS” began as classwork for Ping Xu, a fine arts associate professor, who continued to mentor him throughout his work process.
Additionally, Trejo was awarded a Silver ADDY for a packaging design he created for “E11even,” an automotive care business he started from scratch.
“My dad, he has like his business … in Monterrey,” Trejo said. “He is a chemical distributor. He’s been wanting to do his own car shampoo or automotive care line. And he liked ‘E11even’ so much. ‘E11even’ is going to come to life, and it’s going to be an actual product in Mexico.”
He said he would rather base the value of his graphic design work on the people that have supported him along the way rather than the awards he won.
“My girlfriend isn’t a graphic designer, but having somebody that believes in you and your work, and someone you can rant to when going through a creative block, can be a very strong pillar in what aids somebody to keep going and produce better work,” Trejo said. “To me, it really just means I chose the right parents. I chose the right professors. And I chose the right friends. … Whether it was by giving me an opportunity, believing in me or sparking inspiration, it’s all really because of them.”
The Communication and Fine Arts departments celebrated the local winners on March 24 with a ceremony in the University Library lobby on the Edinburg campus.
“Dr. Kimberly Selber and I just wanted to make a great experience for everyone involved,” said Charlie Luna, a mass communication senior and president of UTRGV’s AAF student chapter, the Ad Club. “Whether that was the graphic design majors or the advertising majors, we just wanted it to be a blast. And I think we successfully did that.”
He credits Selber for his success in AAF and throughout his college career.
Luna was awarded an “honorable mention” Bronze ADDY for his work on the “By Vaqueros, For Vaqueros” campaign designed for the UTRGV Campus Food Security Incentive.
“It was, like, over a year of collecting photos, and getting the moments that had these students involved in raising awareness for our initiative,” Luna said. “… I think these highlight what we’re trying to do for … UTRGV, not just the students but also the faculty.”
The Ad Club is collaborating with the Campus Food Security Incentive to host a fundraiser from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the University Library on the Edinburg campus. Food will be sold at the fundraiser.
Luna said the club offers different opportunities and guidance for those involved.
“We also do headshots for students that need one for a professional setting,” he said. “Whatever projects they want to do in advertising, we promote it and help them give guidance. I’m hoping that the next class will see what we did and try to improve. … I think there’s potential for more, and to grow. And yeah, I hope every class after the last continues to put … UTRGV on the map.”
