Adlab Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Arts & Comms: Behind the Cameras

Alyssa Anderson — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 22:29:38 +0000

The post Arts & Comms: Behind the Cameras appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

AdLab Student Project “Your Decisions Write Our Stories” Dominates Awards Season

McKell Park — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:43:14 +0000

The project, titled “Your Decisions Write Our Stories,” won several awards this year, including a Gold Award at the International Andy Awards and Best in Show at Utah’s American Advertising Federation Awards When BYU advertising student Connor Dean first heard about Dr. Scott Warren, an Arizona State University professor being charged for ‘harboring illegal people’ at the border, he was confused by the backlash Warren received for his actions. “To me, it was a modern-day Good Samaritan story of a man choosing to go against prejudice to help save another life,” Dean said. “I began to think, what would I do in the situation? What is right and what is wrong? What is the greater commandment as children of God, to love one another or to love the law of the land?” Quickly, Dean’s personal reflections morphed into an advertising project titled “Your Decisions Write Our Stories.” The video — branded with the LA Times — tells the story of the wife of a border patrol officer who stumbles upon a young boy and his pregnant mother as they attempt to cross the border near the couple’s home. The student team — Connor Dean (Producer), Enoch Lui (Copywriter), Cam Tribe (Art Director) and Quinn Frehner (Strategy) — decided to produce the commercial in a narrative structure, allowing the audience to understand the complex issue through a relatable and emotional story. “I tend to gravitate more towards narrative-type storytelling in commercials because I feel that I can share important messages in a beautiful and relatable way,” Dean said. Although the ad addressed controversial messages about immigration, the students hoped to shed light on humanitarian aid at the border, a topic the group believed many are unaware of. “Border groups such as No More Deaths and Border Angels organize water drops and supplies for refugees crossing the border in harsh conditions. There have been legal ramifications to these individuals for helping immigrants as they seek a better life,” Dean said. By using the captivating story and character development, the team wanted to promote more understanding for illegal immigration, and encourage a different way of thinking about immigrants coming into the United States. “Instead of being passive about topics that might make us uncomfortable, such as illegal immigration, we can make a conscious effort to develop empathy for others and to see them as human beings with valid life experiences,” Dean said. The students also hoped to convey a message about the importance of finding truth, even when that truth can be difficult to hear. The words that appear at the end of the commercial — “your decisions write our stories” — are a reflection on the relationship between what one believes to be true and how that can affect decision making. “We make decisions based on what we believe ‘truth’ is. Paradoxically, in today’s world truth is harder to find, even though there are more news stations, search engines and resources than ever before,” Dean said. “We won’t discover truth if we rely solely on our own experiences to perceive the world, because people everywhere have extremely different circumstances and realities that we cannot comprehend.” Enoch Lui, who worked as the copywriter for the project, found personal fulfillment from his involvement and the opportunity to use his voice and talents for good. “The project meant a lot to me because I served my mission in Guatemala. I saw a lot of people leave their homes to try to find a better life in the United States,” Lui said. “We weren’t trying to show one side or the other, and we were just trying to give the facts, but we felt like it was an important message to share.” The AdLab had a great impact on the success of the project, as the students were able to bring their creative ideas to life using its resources. Dean was able to benefit from real-world experience in film production. “As a commercial film producer, you are in charge of the whole production process,” he said. “You need to understand film production, narrative structure and story development as well as handling things like budgeting, casting and scheduling. The AdLab has been so crucial in my education and growth as a producer. We have access to amazing resources such as cinema cameras and editing and coloring software.” Ultimately, “Your Decisions Write Our Stories” sought to bring empathy — not based in political views, but rather real people and stories. “I hope that people can watch this story and form opinions not based on political affiliation or preconceived notions, but on seeing and hearing the stories of other people — especially those who are marginalized,” Dean said. “I hope we can become better at not simply accepting the truths that are portrayed to us by our own culture, but that we can put in the work to recognize the experiences of humanity everywhere.” Watch the full ad here. Awards Won: Gold Cube – Art Directors Club (ADC) for The One Club for Creativity Gold Award – The International Andy Awards Gold – Telly Award Utah AAF – Best in Show

The post AdLab Student Project “Your Decisions Write Our Stories” Dominates Awards Season appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

BYU’s AdLab claims top spot in two national competitions this month

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 20:53:57 +0000

What if you were able to work on real-life projects for global brands such as Amazon, Gatorade, Nike and Spotify as a student? Students who work in BYU’s AdLab, a professionally mentored, student-led advertising agency, do just that. Oh, and they are also pretty good at winning awards. Like Emmy-award winning good. Earlier this month, one recent project from the team became the latest to win the Emmy for Commercial, PSA, or Promo from the College Television Awards. The commercial tells the story of a father and son who reconcile their relationship when the father accepts his son for who he is rather than what he wants his son to be. A big reason why the students and faculty in this lab are so successful is their ability to be in sync with the advertising industry and its trends. Most recently, they have embraced the new model of brand storytelling through social advocacy. To do that, professors and advisors encourage students to tap into their personal backgrounds, areas of interest and passion to help brainstorm the next project. See the full article by Aaron Sorenson at news.byu.edu.

The post BYU’s AdLab claims top spot in two national competitions this month appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Enoch Lui Reflects on Developing Creativity and Divine Inspiration During Time at BYU

McKell Park — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:58:11 +0000

Lui — a native of Seattle, Washington — will graduate with a BA in communications with an emphasis in advertising on April 24, 2020 Enoch Lui always considered himself a “creative.” However, after heading to BYU to pursue a career in filmmaking, he quickly realized something was missing from his original plan. “I realized I was probably too business-oriented for the fine arts, but also too creative for business,” Lui said. “Then I stumbled across the AdLab, saw all the incredible production work they were doing, and felt like I had found my place.” Lui eventually began the creative track in the advertising program and discovered his passion for copywriting. As he made his way through the program, Lui worked on several projects that helped him develop his own creative voice. One video project Lui was involved in — titled “Your Decisions Write Our Stories” — won Best of Show at the Utah AAF American Advertising Awards this year. It tells the story of a border patrol officer who discovers that his wife is hiding a pregnant woman and her young son as they attempt to cross the border into America. Working on the project helped Lui realize his potential to communicate impactful messages to his audience. “The project meant a lot to me because I served my mission in Guatemala. I saw a lot of people leave their homes to try and find a better life in the United States,” Lui said. “We weren’t trying to show one side or the other, but we felt like it was an important message to share.” When asked what advice he would give to future advertising students, Lui noted the importance of taking initiative and always being yourself. “As a creative, you shouldn’t have to be told to seek out creativity. You should be actively seeking different kinds of art and critically analyzing it,” said Lui. “It’s so important to take that personal initiative and have passion projects.” “Project Tala” — a mural painted in downtown Provo — was such a passion project for Lui and his friend Teiano Lesa, celebrating their Polynesian heritage. “It was something we wanted to do just out of our own creative expression,” Lui said. “We did it in honor of our Polynesian heritage.” Before being accepted to the advertising program, Lui took creative writing classes and visited film sets to learn the process, his dream of being a film director always in the back of his mind. He has kept his love for film alive by completing BYU’s film minor along with his advertising degree. “We are all talented in different ways, but what can really set you apart is your work ethic,” Lui said. “Whatever you can bring to the program is unique to you because we all have different backgrounds and stories.” Through his time at BYU, Lui discovered that advertising could be an avenue for him to make positive changes in the world, especially while using his unique voice as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Advertising can change culture. The media has a powerful influence on how people engage with brands and how they behave,” Lui said. “As members of the Church we have a unique voice that we can use — and a voice this field really needs.” Lui was inspired by a lecture given by BYU alum Brent Anderson, who explained that the key to success in advertising is balancing being a believer and a creative. “He explained that in the first verse of Genesis 1, it says ‘God created.’ God Himself is a creator, and He put us here to create,” Lui said. “While I don’t necessarily ask God to help me come up with an amazing campaign, I know I’m inspired about ideas and can have judgment from God about the work that I produce.” Lui hopes to use his creative voice as he begins work post-graduation as a junior copywriter at McCANN — a leading ad agency in New York City. Q&A WITH ENOCH LUI, BA ‘20 COMMUNICATIONS | ADVERTISING What did you want to be when you grew up? “I wanted to be a film director. I think I still kind of do a little bit.” What was your favorite class that you took at BYU? “Tongan 101. I didn’t do very well, but it was fun.” Is there a specific work or practitioner in your field that has had a particularly strong influence on you? “Brent Anderson.” Do you have a hobby outside of what you do for your major? “Along with painting murals, I also started a movie club in the program called ‘The Curriculum’ where we watch movies each week and then talk about them.” What is your favorite snack between classes? “Mr. Goodbar.”

The post Enoch Lui Reflects on Developing Creativity and Divine Inspiration During Time at BYU appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.