In June, five advertising students along with Dr. Lance Porter are going to Paris for the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival as part of the LSU in Paris program. While there they get to go to all three awards shows, attend workshops of their choice and (probably the coolest part) take individual master classes from some of the top advertising pros in the world. This is a great opportunity. The group is looking for financial assistance to pay for the Cannes registration costs or approximately $1,000 per student. The students each already are paying for their flight, tuition and various program costs.
In April, the AAF-Baton Rouge Board of Directors approved a $500 donation to help with the funding towards their $5,000 goal. The LSU students taking part will be in attendance at the May 6 Salute to Students Luncheon at Juban’s. If you can’t be in attendance, checks can be made out to the LSU AdFed and mailed to:
LSU
Journalism Building
Attn: Lance Porter
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Below are letters from students attending.
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Dear AAF-Baton Rouge Members,
I am really excited about attending the LSU in Paris program, but especially looking forward to the Cannes portion of the trip. Being able to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity. What I am most looking forward to are the seminar and master class portions of Cannes where our group will be able to get a real look inside the industry and learn cutting edge material in areas that the advertising industry feels is most important and pertinent to an evolving business. The online digital media portions really grab my attention and I plan on attending the seminars by Facebook, Google, and YouTube to see how the changing technology is evolving their business models and advertising practices. It should be really exciting to see how some non-traditional advertising practices are used functionally and effectively by these industry game-changers.
I also have a burgeoning interest in film (maybe professionally) that has developed from a life-long passion; and the MOFILM presentation on the Social Network movie – A Film about a Social Network from a Social Network of Filmmakers – dovetails nicely into what I may want to do professionally post-LSU.
Mostly with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity I hope to not only gain perspective inside the advertising industry, but insight within myself and further help my decisions into what I want to do professionally once I graduate from LSU. As a junior with one year remaining at LSU the count-down clock is ever present and I know an inside look into the real functioning aspects of Advertising (my major) can only help me make more educated decisions when I graduate.
Thanks!
Joseph Wilson
jpwilson90@gmail.com
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Dear AAF-Baton Rouge Members,
I am a lifesaver. I do not actually save lives, but I’ve been saving for the last 20 years of my life. My plan has always been to get an undergraduate degree, move to Chicago, land my dream job at Leo Burnett, work, and die happy. The recession and economy has become especially tough on college students though, making an undergraduate degree alone insufficient to land my dream job. So I revised my plan: work on my resume, get an undergraduate degree, work on my resume, get a graduate degree, work some more on my resume until I have something sufficient to land the dream job.
I have been saving money for graduate school since my freshman year of college, but I decided to invest my savings on studying abroad in Paris, which I think is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and start over on my savings for graduate school. My parents support my decision to study abroad when I explained its benefits, but like many immigrant parents, they could not afford to pay for it. They believe I should save my money; however, passing up this opportunity was not an option for me.
While in Paris, Dr. Lance Porter will take a small group of advertising enthusiasts on an overnight trip to the Advertising Festival in Cannes. This trip is particularly special to me because Leo Burnett, my dream company, will be hosting a seminar at the festival. I have always been a fan of their creative work. Last spring, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Chicago with LSU AdFed to tour Leo Burnett. That experience sealed the deal—advertising was definitely the way to go. I am now a third-year advertising major with minors in graphic design and sociology.
Studying abroad will add something unique to my resume. It is no secret that advertising is an extremely competitive industry, and it will take a lot more than just my talents and internships to stand out. As a an artist, I believe a successful advertisement should not only be aesthetically pleasing but globally appealing as well, making traveling imperative to my future. I may literally be a starving artist in Paris, but I firmly believe that it will all be worth it in the end.
Thank you so much for your interest in helping us fund our trip to Cannes!
Best,
Theresa Thao Nguyen
tngu254@tigers.lsu.edu
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Dear AAF-Baton Rouge Members,
I will be attending the LSU in Paris program this summer, and just wanted to let you know how proud I am to be representing the tigers abroad. I am a Mass Communications major and as part of our curriculum while in Paris we will be going to the Cannes Creative festival. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to learn about my major curriculum in an international environment. Such an opportunity will not only help me personally by gaining valuable insights to my chosen curriculum, but also allows me to share the experiences and depth of the opportunities available at LSU with both current and future LSU tigers. I have no doubt that this trip will be a once in a lifetime experience and your consideration of financial assistance of the program would be most appreciated.
Respectfully,
David Peterson
dpete21@tigers.lsu.edu
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Summer school in Paris is an amazing opportunity to learn about a different culture and broaden students’ perspectives on career opportunities. The Cannes Advertising Festival is a great way to network with various professionals from all around the world and learn about differences in world cultures.
With professionals attending from essentially Europe, South America and Asia, the Cannes festival is sure to provide multiple learning opportunities that include seminars and workshops from advertising firms as well as international companies.
Carolina De La Pena
cdelap1@tigers.lsu.edu