American Advertising Federation, CSUN

ABOUT AAF

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) is the only national organization that brings together the different segments of the advertising business. AAF combines the strength of 200 major corporations; advertisers, advertising agencies, media and service companies, as well as 19 other advertising trade associations, with a force of over 220 advertising clubs and federations including some 40,000 individual members throughout the United States...and some 200 college chapters to realize a unified network--for the good of advertising.

AAF is divided nationally into 15 Districts located in three regions: Eastern, Central and Western. Each District holds an annual conference to which students are invited. These meetings provide contacts with professionals from that geographic area.

OBJECTIVE

One of the primary objectives of the American Advertising Federation is to encourage young people to enter advertising as a career and to enhance the quality of advertising education, thus strengthening the skills of future advertising practitioners. AAF college chapters serve as that Division of the Federation designed to accomplish this goal.

AAF COLLEGE CHAPTER

The AAF college chapter program is the only national affiliation offered exclusively to advertising students. Currently 200 colleges and universities, represent over 6,000 students, are enrolled as members of the AAF college chapter program. The AAF chapter determines and plans its own activities with the counsel of the faculty adviser. The chapter elects its own officers, admits and initiates its students members. The chapter conducts money-making projects, organizes seminars with professionals, and promotes visits to advertisers, agencies, and media. The AAF college chapter program is guided by the AAF Academic Division, made up of faculty and industry advisers.

AAF COLLEGE CHAPTER MEMBER BENEFITS

The National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC)--called the AAF College World Series of Advertising--challenges student teams from colleges in each of the AAF's 15 Districts to take the advertising/marketing case study of a national company and develop a marketing plan, advertising campaign and media strategy to meet specified challenges and goals. The NSAC serves to significantly improve the quality of advertising education by providing a type of course-work that most colleges or universities can't supply on their own.

Each college chapter work as an advertising agency in preparing a plans book and presentation outlining their solution to the marketing problem. Initially, college teams compete locally within the their AAF District. The winning team in each District then goes on to present its advertising/marketing proposal before a panel of nationally prominent judges. Finals are held at the AAF National Advertising Conference each June.

Perhaps the prime educational value to the students is that the judging is not done by educators. Professionals in the advertising industry serve as judges on the district level, and the national judges are representatives of the client and/or the client's agency. It is, in every way possible, a speculative presentation. The student teams are advertising agencies seeking the account of a major advertiser.

CSUN AAF CHAPTER

CSUN is a member of District 15 in the Western Region. The chapter first entered the competition in the 1991/1992 academic year. Although CSUN finished second for the district that year, the experience provided the background to win the District for the next two years. In fact, CSUN placed 5th nationally for the 1992/1993 academic year and 7th for the 1993/1994 academic year.