AUT graduates take Axis Awards by storm
AUT advertising creativity graduates picked up more awards than ever at the annual Axis Advertising Industry Awards in March, with a total of 65 Axis awards going their way.
Programme leader Paul White says this is a fantastic achievement for the AUT graduates and highlights how the work students complete while studying the advertising creativity major give them the skills to succeed in industry.
“We do our best make the course as 'real world' as we can. Most projects are live briefs set by clients or agencies and we have some very generous support from people in the industry who come in to mentor and critique the students' work. The AXIS results are the ultimate culmination of doing things that way."
The AUT winners
The Executive Judging Panel awarded the 'Emerging Talent Axis' to Kevin Walker (Graduate Diploma in Advertising Creative, 2011) and Melina Fiolitakis (Bachelor of Communication Studies (BCS) Advertising Creativity (AC) major, 2011) from DraftFCB New Zealand, who both demonstrated outstanding talent as newcomers to the industry having won a gold Axis for UNICEF and four silver Axis awards for Sony Walkman.
Simon Vicars (BCS AC major, 2005), now senior copywriter at Colenso BBDO, picked up more awards than any other person on the night: he was awarded two Grand Prix Axis awards, 8 Golds, 11 Silvers and 17 Bronzes. ColensoBBDO were named Creative Agency of the Year, largely on the back of those wins.
Joe Stuart (BCS AC major 2010), Sklyer Bongers, Anna Kerr (BCS AC majors 2012), Felicity Hopkinson and Olivia Trimble (AC Majors 2013) won their agency’s first ever awards when they picked up two Silver Axis prizes. Nearly everyone in the creative department at digital agency, Young & Shand is an AUT advertising creativity graduate.
Alan Jones (Graduate Diploma AC 2009) and Angelo An (BCS AC major 2008) grabbed six bronze Axis awards.
Matt Williams (BCS AC major 2007) who won big last year for his Driving Dogs campaign collected four Bronze awards this year.
Seth Joseph (BCS Public Relations major 2011) hauled in two Bronze awards, as did Smeta Chotthu-Patel (BCS AC major 2003), while Sasha Arandelovic and Kevin Bachtiar (BCS 2010) also collared a bronze Axis.
What are the Axis Awards?
“Axis is a celebration of New Zealand’s best creative work; the work our industry is most proud of because it has broken the rules, permeates popular culture and influences behavioural change,” said Paul Head, CEO of CAANZ (Communication Agencies of New Zealand).
For more about the winners and awards this year click here
To learn more about studying advertising creativity at AUT click here