By: Matthew S. Taylor
In July, four members of the Advertising Club, including their sponsor, attended a seminar by the Tennessee Titans marketing team. This was the first step in a year-long process that included an Advanced Campaign Research class, a multi-stage national competition and a potential presentation to board members of the National Football League (NFL).
The Advertising Club is Southern’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), a national trade association that promotes and protects the advertising industry. One feature of the global organization is the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). The premier college advertising competition provides more than 2,000 college students with real-world experience creating a strategic advertising/marketing/media campaign for a corporate client.
Previous clients of the competition were AT&T in 2025, Tide in 2024 and the Meta Quest 2 in 2022. This coming year, the client is the biggest name in American sports: the NFL.
“The NFL being the client is thrilling,” said Michael Finch, the Advertising Club’s faculty sponsor and an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Communication. “It’s created a lot of buzz because it’s such an exciting client.”
For Finch, the “big league” challenge is the whole point.
“[The NSAC] puts our students on a playing field with the best students nationally,” he said. “We’re on the same playing field and our game will naturally elevate.”
Competing in the NSAC is no easy feat, according to Finch.
“I’ve talked with professionals,” he said, “and professionals say the AAF pitch is actually harder than any pitch they’ve ever done. Professionals know if you’ve done the NSAC competition, you’re prepared.”
The student players feel pressure but are rising to the occasion. Taylor Moren, a senior mass communication major and the student Director of the NSAC team, says the scale of the challenge is forcing the team to think like professionals.
“The NFL brand has a massive cultural influence,” Moren said. “It challenges us to really think on a national scale, both creatively and strategically. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do with it.”
Like in any competition, the team dynamic is an imperative part of taking on such a venture. AAF President Michelle Mita, a junior strategy communication and advertising major, praised her teammates’ synergy.
“It’s really exciting to work with such a big company and the team I’m working with is very creative,” Mita said. “I’ve learned a lot from the way we brainstorm and build ideas together.”
Right now, the team is in its “film study” phase: conducting deep research to develop their game plan. The goal, Finch explained, is to find the “big idea,” which he calls the “main tent pole” that the entire campaign will be built around. To get there, the team is even planning a scouting trip in late November, attending the Tennessee Titans home game in Nashville against divisional rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I actually don’t want to decide on a core key idea until we go to the football game,” Finch said, “to just kind of experience that together and reflect.”
For these students, the stakes are high.
“I hope to gain hands-on experience that helps me apply what I’ve learned in class to real projects and prepare for my future career in the industry.” Mita said.
It’s a long season, and the final pitch isn’t until next spring, but Finch is clear on the team’s ultimate mission.
“I would say advertising is a place that needs a lot of light,” he said. “And so, I hope this is a great opportunity for us to grow, as we shine God’s light through excellence.”
