American Advertising Federation at Illinois boasts largest student chapter in the nation

February 12, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood The American Advertising Federation at Illinois is the largest student chapter in the nation, currently boasting more than 400 members. Caroline Burns, a senior in advertising and president of the AAF at Illinois, knows why. “I think it’s a combination of we’ve been around for so long at the […]

How the power of Minions and Gen Z propelled the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise

July 3, 2024 | Los Angeles Times You note your popularity specifically when you get internalized into meme culture. Carrie Wilson-Brown, Lecturer of Media and Cinema Studies and of Advertising Carrie Wilson-Brown, a lecturer of media and cinema studies and of advertising, was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about the cross-cultural and cross-generational appeal […]

Students place 2nd in AAF’s district-wide National Student Advertising Competition

May 5, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood A group of Illinois advertising and computer science + advertising students earned second place in the district level at the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition held April 27-28 in South Bend, Indiana. After extensive marketing research, the Illinois NSAC team of students—which includes researchers, strategists, creatives, media […]

Brand Ambassador Program develops students’ brand management skills to benefit Illini athletes, community

January 9, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood and Vivian La, Communications Intern The first cohort of students in the Brand Ambassador Program are halfway through their yearlong experience, which pairs a student interested in social media and brand management with Fighting Illini student-athletes and local organizations.  Since its inception just four months ago, the program is […]

Wilson-Brown adds new dimensions to PR courses in College of Media

Carrie Wilson-Brown returned to campus this fall as a lecturer in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. She previously attended the College of Media’s Institute of Communications Research as a graduate candidate in 1993 through 1999. This semester, she is teaching new courses in Public Relations and Entertainment […]