By TODD GOTTULA
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Ten current and former University of Nebraska at Kearney visual communication and design students won 22 awards at the recent American Advertising Awards state competition in Lincoln.
Formerly known as the ADDYs, the event is the advertising industry’s largest competition, attracting more than 40,000 entries every year. The competition recognizes and rewards “creative spirit of excellence” in advertising.
UNK’s winning entries now move on to district competition, with the chance to eventually be judged at the national level.
Senior Kyleigh Skaggs of Kearney led UNK by winning five individual awards, including one gold and four silver finishes. Skaggs won top honors for her packaging design of My Two Thumbs Hotsauce.
Senior Jun Ma of Guangxi, China, won three silver awards. Recent UNK graduate Matt Schultz of Aurora also won three awards, including a gold for his Fruit of Labor senior exhibition.
Others winning gold included senior Taylor Cody of Kearney for her UX Interactive conference campaign, recent graduate Travis Stewart of Kansas City for his Planet Brewery package design, and recent graduate Victoria Thompson of Lincoln for her Foxfire Folk Fest senior exhibition.
Those winning awards included:
RECENT GRADUATES
Matt Schultz, Aurora: Fruit of our Labor senior exhibition, Gold; Fledge promotional video, Silver; Fledge senior exhibition, Silver.
Victoria Thompson, Lincoln: Foxfire Folk Fest senior exhibition, Gold; Blackbuck Rum package design, Silver.
Julie Gates, McCook: Viri Urban Horticulture senior exhibition, Silver; Totem Coffee House package design, Silver.
Travis Stewart, Kansas City: Planet Brewery package design, Gold; Empires of Light senior exhibition, Silver.
CURRENT STUDENTS
Hope Pracht, Ansley: The Monster Squad movie poster, Silver.
Kassidy Mcconville, Cambridge: Become photography, Silver.
Taylor Cody, Kearney: UX Interactive conference campaign, Gold; Grind Haus Books & Coffee, Silver.
Hannah Kirschner, Kearney: Vote poster, Silver.
Kyleigh Skaggs, Kearney: My Two Thumbs Hotsauce packaging, Gold; Strata Clothing logo and branding, Silver; UNK Honor Band Clinic poster, Silver; Missoula Osprey logo design, Silver; UX Mobile Summit conference campaign, Silver.
Jun Ma, Guangxi, China: UNK Art poster, Silver; Southern Tigers sports logos, Silver; UX MOBX conference campaign, Silver.
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Writer: Todd Gottula, Director of Communications, 308.865.8454, gottulatm@unk.edu
Contact: Richard Schuessler, professor visual communications and design, 308.637.7116, schuesslerr@unk.edu
