AnnouncementsJanuary 25, 2019
Second year students spent the end of their winter break working vigorously on a brand challenge for client sponsor Casper in the Brandcenter's first ever BCsprint. Briefed on Thursday afternoon and presenting on Monday morning, the ten student teams had four days to problem solve, come up with ideas and prepare presentations in a real world "sprint" scenario.
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AnnouncementsJanuary 4, 2019
The VCU Brandcenter is hiring a full-time art direction professor to refine our students and share valuable insight and experience from working in the industry. Read the job description and apply online today.
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AlumniNovember 27, 2018
Sam Dolphin (Copywriting, 2011) and his creative partners were looking to reintroduce some risk and fun to advertising. So they rented a billboard in Oakland, CA and are using it as a canvas to connect to the community. "In a lot of ways, creativity has turned into a math formula, and we wanted to get back to the fun-unknown-experimentation world that initially inspired us to get in this business.”
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In the NewsNovember 9, 2018
After Sandy Hook, VCU Brandcenter Professor Scott Witthaus knew that something had to be done about school shootings. He began to think of ideas for a product that could actually help stop shooters in their tracks. He and his creative partner Chris McCann invented DropLock, an easy-to-deploy barricade system that can keep shooters at bay for about 10 minutes, buying time for students before law enforcement could arrive.
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Analysis & OpinionNovember 9, 2018
Brandcenter professor Kelly O'Keefe was recently a guest on NPR's "With Good Reason" podcast in an interview entitled "Brand Survival in the Trump Era." He explores what happens when brands take a stand in a politically divided world, and how communicators can use their talents to make the world better.
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In the NewsNovember 8, 2018
Brandcenter board member and AICP President & CEO Matt Miller brings the AICP Show, 'The Art & Technique of the American Commercial" from New York to the historic Byrd Theatre in Richmond every year so that Brandcenter students can see the best work in the industry. This year 13 Brandcenter alums have work in the show.
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Analysis & OpinionNovember 11, 2018
Brandcenter alum Rachel Mercer (XD, 2012), Executive Strategy Director at R/GA, talks about why she graduated early to go to VCU Brandcenter, how she found more opportunities when she wasn't given enough work to do at her internship, what newsletters she reads to stay a step ahead of her clients and build their trust, how building a diverse team brought more value to her agency (and the proof!), and her secret to increasing your perceived value in this We Are Next podcast interview.
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Analysis & OpinionNovember 5, 2018
Brandcenter alum Charles Hodges (CW, 2009), founder of Arts & Letters in Richmond, and other leaders of new agencies are featured in Communication Arts, sharing great advice for starting an agency or creative company. Charles' answer to one question, "What do you want your agency to be known for 5 years from now?" particularly stands out: "If we could be known as one of the most talented and kind places in the business of ideas, I think we’d all be pretty proud."
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Analysis & OpinionOctober 30, 2018
Vann Graves, Executive Director of the VCU Brandcenter, brings stories, learnings, and vision from his highly-awarded career working with some of the world's biggest brands. Hear about how being asked to create a Christmas card for (then CCO and Chairman of BBDO) Phil Dusenberry's dog taught him a lesson about being a great creative, his enormous goal for making Brandcenter more accessible to students and diversifying the pipeline to the industry, what the industry should know about the next generation of advertising, and why you shouldn't "fake it 'til you make it".
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In the NewsOctober 29, 2018
Melissa Poe and Daniel Huffine, first year students in the Brandcenter's Experience Design track, were part of a team of VCU students who took home first prize in The Lindsay Institute's Caring for the Caregiver Hackathon this October, 2018.
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AlumniOctober 22, 2018
Jay Kamath went from architecture student to agency co-founder. He and a former 72andSunny coworker started Haymaker in 2017 with a multidisciplinal attitude, hiring people with hybrid talents - and that approach is reflected in the far-ranging avenues that many of Haymaker’s creative endeavors take. In this Adweek article, Jay shares advice and lessons he's learned along the way.
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AnnouncementsOctober 1, 2018
The VCU Brandcenter 2019 application is now available. Learn how to apply and request the application for fall 2019 on our Admissions page.
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