AAF Program Answers Call for More Diversity in Advertising

Business Wire, Feb 22, 2001

Business Editors

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2001

Program Builds More Diverse Industry Through Nation's

Most Promising Minority Advertising Students

Answering the call for a more diverse advertising industry, The AAF Foundation, the American Advertising Federation's (AAF) educational affiliate, is connecting top advertisers and agencies with the most outstanding multicultural advertising candidates from AAF college chapters, universities and historically black colleges around the nation.

Now in its fifth year, AAF's Most Promising Minority Students--2001 is helping meet the need for a multicultural workforce. Twenty-five finalists will visit New York City from March 1 - 2 to meet with recruiters and executives from leading ad agencies, advertisers and media companies for interviews, coaching and guidance. These graduating college seniors, the best and brightest with an academic background in advertising, represent colleges in 15 states and the District of Columbia (see full list attached). A total of 66 top students were nominated this year.

"After five years and as our honorees progress, we know this program has enhanced the multicultural perspective in the industry of advertising," said AAF President and CEO Wally Snyder. "Corporate America is demanding ways to tap into a culturally diverse marketplace. These students offer companies rich talent and the promise of even better advertising."

Sponsored by The AAF Foundation in partnership with Advertising Age, the program is supported by a broad cross-section of the ad industry. Participating companies represent a mix of advertisers, agencies and media companies. This year's two-day enrichment conference is chaired by Keith Clinkscales, chairman and CEO, Vanguarde Media.

The event for the honorees culminates on March 2 with the "Building Bridges for Our Future" awards luncheon at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Chairing the luncheon this year is Judy Hu, executive director, corporate advertising and marketing, General Motors. Official trade media partner representative is David Klein, publishing director, Advertising Age, and representing the official airline is Erick Knowles, director, marketing Atlantic and Caribbean, American Airlines.

Other corporate sponsors include more than 30 leading advertisers, agencies and media companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Inc., DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc., DDB Worldwide Communications, The Procter & Gamble Company, Essence Communications, Hearst Magazines, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi and J. Walter Thompson. A complete list of sponsors is attached.

More than 60 percent of the Most Promising Minority Students selected in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 are known to be working in the advertising industry for employers including NIKE, Procter & Gamble, The Gap, The Wall Street Journal, Essence Magazine, Univision, DDB Worldwide, BBDO, Leo Burnett Company and Saatchi & Saatchi. The AAF Foundation tracks program performance by conducting biannual surveys by mail and telephone.

** The AAF is the advertising trade association that represents the ad industry in its entirety. AAF's 130 corporate members are advertisers, agencies and media companies that comprise the nation's leading brands and corporations. AAF's national network of 210 ad clubs and local ad federations are home to 50,000 advertising professionals. In addition, AAF connects industry with an academic base through its 260 college chapters.

Editor's Note. Interviews and photo opportunities can be arranged with any of the Most Promising Minority Students. The same can be arranged with alumni currently working in the advertising industry.

Students               School                   Hometown

Jennifer O. Asare      University of Maryland
                       - College Park, MD       Yorktown Heights, NY
Jeannie Lopez
 Camarillo             Minnesota State Univ.,
                        Moorhead - Fargo, ND    Fargo, ND
Mary J. Cano           Southern Methodist Univ.
                       - Dallas, TX             Dallas, TX
Amy Deeter             Miami Univ. - Oxford, OH  West Carrollton, OH

Michael A. DeSouza     Long Island Univ.
                       - Brooklyn, NY           Brooklyn, NY
David B. Diaz          Florida International Univ.
                       - Miami, FL              Miami, FL

Shaneka Edwards        University of Kentucky
                       - Lexington, KY          Lexington, KY

Erika L. Emeruwa       The George Washington Univ.
                       - Washington, DC         South Euclid, OH

Amanda Foster          Southern Methodist Univ.
                       - Dallas, TX             Dallas, TX

Nicole Gary            University of Minnesota
                       - Minneapolis, MN        Minneapolis, MN

Melissa Hall           University of Illinois
                       - Champaign, IL          Wheaton, IL

Marcus Headlam         Ohio University
                       - Athens, OH             Mason, OH

Sarah Rose Hill        Northwood University
                       - Midland, MI            Jackson, MI

Nathan Kawado          Academy of Art College
                       - San Francisco, CA      Daly City, CA

Steven M. Lake         Cleveland State University
                       - Cleveland, OH          Cleveland Heights, OH

Vicky Li               Boston University
                       - Boston, MA             Orlando, FL

Nicole N. Neely        Howard University
                       - Washington, DC         Silver Spring, MD

Patrice Ng             Pennsylvania State
                       University
                       - State College, PA      West Orange, NJ

Sara N. Ortiz          University of Missouri
                       - Columbia, MO           Kirkwood, MO

Roberto Regalado, Jr.  San Jose State University
                       - San Jose, CA           Redwood City, CA

Joseph C. Sayaman      St. John's University
                       - New York, NY           Staten Island, NY

Caroline Schellman     Oklahoma State Univ.
                       - Stillwater, OK          Lawton, OK

Cedric M. Scott        University of South Carolina
                       - Columbia, SC            Greenville, SC

Brent Shiratori        University of Hawaii
                       at Manoa - Honolulu, HI   Honolulu, HI

Tara C. Tongco         Oklahoma State University
                       - Stillwater, OK          Stillwater, OK


AAF's Most Promising Minority Students -- 2001:  List of Sponsors

Advertising Age
American Airlines, Inc.
General Motors

ABC, Inc.
America Online, Inc.
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
DaimlerChrysler
D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles
Colgate-Palmolive Company
DDB Worldwide Communications Group, Inc.
Grey Worldwide
The Kellogg Company
Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc.
McCann Erikson
Meredith Corporation
The New York Times Company
Nielsen Media Research
Pfizer Inc.
The Procter & Gamble Company

AAF's District 2
A&E Television BBDO Worldwide, Inc.
Burrell Communications Group
Campbell-Ewald
CBS Corporation
Don Coleman Advertising, Inc.
Essence Communications
The Hearst Magazines
Knight-Ridder
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
PepsiCo, Inc.
Saatchi & Saatchi
True North Communications - Bozell Group and FCB Worldwide
Vanguarde Media
Young & Rubicam, Inc.

Cleveland Advertising Association
J. Walter Thompson
UniWorld Group