For eight MSU students, a recent trip to Beijing proved to be more than just adjusting to a new culture.
As the only American participants in the OneClub China Youth Creative Festival, advertising seniors Henrik Blix and Andriana Tonis , along with advertising junior Victor Marmorstein and studio art senior Taylor Parker , were challenged to collaborate with and compete against 300 of China’s best advertising students.
“It was a big whirlwind,” Tonis said. “I’m surprised that we were able to handle everything so well that was thrown at us.”
Led by advertising professor Henry Brimmer , advertising seniors Maggie Zhang and Jacob Yu joined the trip as translators, while media and information junior Izak Gracy and journalism senior Andrea Raby documented the student’s progress throughout the competition.
Working under high pressure and tight deadlines, the competing MSU students were divided up into two groups. Both groups then joined separate teams consisting of four Chinese students in which they had to produce a creative advertising campaign. According to Tonis, her team ended up designing, copywriting and producing two commercials, a print ad and a form of guerrilla advertising within five days.
“If you would have told me we were going to write, shoot and edit two commercials and create everything that we did so quickly, I would not have believed you,” Tonis said. “Collaborating is such an interesting experience and I thought our team worked really well together.”
While the translators were essential in bridging the gap created by language barriers, Tonis and Blix said the Chinese students approached the creative process differently, which presented the team with many challenges in the beginning stages.
“I think the hardest part was trying to get them on board with some of our ideas because they were so out there,” Tonis said. “Our cultures are so different. They are taught to have a polished idea and then present, while in America, we are taught to just throw ideas out and say whatever we are thinking, which is a lot more productive.”
After getting cut from the competition, pitching a new idea, and having the chance to re-enter the final round to present their work, Blix said this experience has demonstrated how valuable his education at MSU has been.
“Especially when compared to seeing what the Chinese students have been getting, we have been very well prepared for the creative advertising environment and how to work with each other,” he said. “I really saw everything that we have learned up until now pay dividends when we were in China.”
At the conclusion of the competition, the MSU team consisting of Marmorstein, Parker, and Yu secured a second place finish with the Silver Pencil Award.
Although Tonis and Blix’s team did not place, Tonis said participating in the festival allowed her to gain confidence in the knowledge and skill sets that she has acquired at MSU, specifically from professor Brimmer and advertising professor Larry Steinberg.
“Having that (freedom) helps keep you thinking and you have no boundaries,” she said. “Harry and Larry are both really good at not limiting your thoughts. They push you to think about things you have not seen or heard before.”
In addition to gaining reassurance as they anticipate their entrance into the job market, Blix and Tonis said the competition served as a source for networking, and they believe the connections they made overseas have the potential to open up opportunities for them once they graduate.
