AAA School of Advertising student a star in the making

There is no disputing that South Africa's young creative advertising talent can compete with the best and hold their own internationally. One such shining example of raw local genius is AAA School of Advertising (Cape Town) 2003 graduate, Amelia Smit, the winner of the coveted 2003 Ibda'a Media – International – Student's Award in the category of art direction –Print Advertising.

Her submission was one of 1 819 entries and she competed against hopefuls from 98 universities, representing more than 20 different countries.

The work was judged by an international panel of nine members, comprising top media personalities from media corporations from around the world.

The submission that won Smit first prize was a print ad developed for Arrive Alive, originally entered into the Cinemark Awards for Young Creatives, with Alex Goldberg as copywriter. In this competition it too was selected as one of the top entries in print advertising.

The print ad had to meet various art direction criteria, including social relevance, public awareness, and environmental issues, as well as the key issue of road safety. The entries were in turn judged on conceptual development, creativity, innovation in approach, ability to communicate, and production values.

"I believe my Arrive Alive advertisement more than adequately met all these criteria. Ibda'a stems from the Arabic word for creativity with an emphasis on innovation in creativity. My submission was in keeping with this and that ultimately is why it stood apart from the other entries," says Smit.

Smit, who was presented her trophy in Dubai at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, says that receiving the award was a real honour and already it has opened doors and exposed her to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Addressing the winners at the event, Abdul Hamid Juma, CEO of Dubai Media City and Co-ordinator General of Ibda'a 2003 said: The exceptionally talented winners of the awards represent the vibrancy and dynamism of a regional media that match the best in the industry. The amazing diversity and intensity of the talent that the awards have attracted this year gives us the energy to further strengthen our Ibda'a campaign next year. We hope that the awards will lead to greater creative aspiration and excellence among the region's media students.

The award included a prestigious international internship intended to jumpstart her career and Smit has just returned from Dubai where she spent an amazing five-weeks with Saathci & Saatchi. Of this experience, Smit says that it was an eye-opener and that being exposed to different people from varied cultures taught her an enormous amount about the context of cultural relevance in advertising.

The AAA School of Advertising, owned by the ACA, is the official higher education institution for the South African advertising industry, with campuses in CT and JHB. It is the only school of its kind owned by an advertising industry and guarantees continued interaction with the profession. It is also the only local tertiary institution to present its graduates with an internationally accredited IAA diploma. The school values cultural diversity and plays a significant role in achieving the transformation goals of the ACA.