Most college students develop career skills by facing hypothetical situations in the classroom yet rarely practice those skills through real-world scenarios outside of it. At Cedarville University, 25-30 students will spend the academic year developing a real advertising campaign for Rocket Mortgage as part of the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition.
The annual competition, hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), gives college students an opportunity to develop advertising campaigns for real corporate clients. The three-stage competition brings together more than 100 colleges and universities to pitch advertising campaigns for a corporate sponsor. In June 2027, eight teams will advance to the national championship, which will take place in Anaheim, California, at the AAF’s National Conference.
This year is the first time Cedarville students will participate in the national competition. Caitlyn Richard, assistant professor of marketing, will lead the team in the construction of an advertising campaign. Competing against schools like the University of California-Berkeley, Texas State University and the University of Oregon, the team will spend its fall and spring semesters developing its campaign.
During the fall semester, the students will dive into research, studying Rocket Mortgage, their client, and completing surveys. A large portion of their research will focus on one question: “How can we best solve the problem our client is facing?”
In the spring, each team member will acquire a different role in the campaign. The team will encompass a wide range of majors, including marketing, communications, graphic design, and media production, to mirror a true marketing agency.
Team members studying marketing will handle tactical executions, cultivating a holistic strategy for the campaign. Communication majors will create scripts for campaign advertisements. Graphic design students will manage the team’s social media, and media production students will film, edit and produce advertisements.
Richard believes the program will challenge the students’ view of the corporate world and their personal work ethic. “Students will develop a lens of ‘this is not just for a grade or a GPA,’” Richard said. “‘This is work that the client is going to see.’”
Senior marketing major Claire Harrison also thinks the program will enhance her perspective of marketing, showing her a tangible side of the industry.
“Working with a brand means that you're carrying on a voice for them,” Harrison said. “I think it will be really cool to be able to understand [our client] and see what they're working for.”
Similarly, Aly Rooke, a senior marketing major, anticipates gaining valuable experience through the program rather than simply facing hypothetical clients. As she works with a national brand, the program will give her a new level of appreciation for marketing.
The team will present its campaign in April 2027, but the students say the experience is already changing how they think about their future careers. For Rooke, the difference is simple: “Being able to actually work for a real client adds so much weight.”
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,542 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2027 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.