NDSU students win gold at National American Advertising Awards

On Friday, May 29, NDSU School of Design, Architecture and Art students Tyler Halstenson, Emma Rehder and Anthony Tortorice attended the American Advertising Awards Gala, in Austin, Texas, where they won gold in the student division for their spec poster campaign for the Library of Congress.

A Gold ADDY Award recognizes the highest level of creative excellence and is judged to be superior to all other entries in the category, according to The American Advertising Federation.

The trio submitted their class project, which was meant to address a major funding issue for the Library of Congress, through three, random, pre-determined parameters. The team developed collages they digitally scanned to make the final posters.

Anticipation was high for the team as they arrived at nationals. The atmosphere was unlike regionals, Halstenson said. “I think it was really fun to be around people who care about design and advertising as much as we do.”

The teammates enjoyed the opportunity to see other student work and professional agency work as well, with Halstenson describing it as a reality check in the best way possible.

“Being in a room full of such creative, driven people just makes you realize, ‘oh, I’m in this room too,’” Halstenson explained.

Rehder had a similar realization. “When we walked up to the slideshow with all the campaigns that won, I saw professional ads from Disney, Pepsi, Doritos and more,” she said. “It finally clicked in my mind the weight of this award.”

When the announcement was made, the team high-fived each other as fellow District 8 AAF members cheered them on, including Kelsey Horner, assistant director of marketing for NDSU Residence Life and Dining.

“Seeing them succeed on a national level was incredible,” Horner said. “The moment their names were announced, I looked at their faces and saw pure awe and surprise.”

According to Horner, it’s been over 10 years since a student from AAF-North Dakota has won an award at the National American Advertising Awards.