The student-run agency’s multiplatform awards span eight contest categories, highlighting work created for five real-world clients during the 2018-19 school year.
Live Oak Communications, Elon’s student-run strategic communications agency, won nine awards at the 32nd annual American Graphic Design and Advertising (AGDA) Awards competition. AGDA is the premier showcase for the best graphic design and advertising in America.
The awards haul included design and advertising work created for several Live Oak clients, including Blue Ribbon Diner, McPhersons Cleaners, Elon University Wellness, The Grove Winery and The Village Grill.
“It is quite notable that the recognition spans so many different student accomplishments, across multiple media platforms, for many different clients ranging from restaurants to dry cleaning to even Elon’s student wellness efforts,” said Hal Vincent, a lecturer in strategic communications and faculty director of Live Oak Communications.
Vincent noted that individual students are not named in the AGDA awards competition. This is “often because so many talented communications design, strategic planning and media analytics students contribute to the concept,” he said. “But, really, this business comes down to whether the communications designers have the skill to bring strategy and ideas to life. These creative communications designers at Live Oak have just proved that answer is ‘yes.’”
The award-winning entries were really a team effort, something the entire student organization should take pride in, Vincent explained. "But clearly the accolades are most deserving for our creative team of content producers and communications design students mentored by Ben Hannam,” he added.
Hannam, associate professor of communication design, serves as the agency’s faculty creative advisor, teaching, mentoring, supervising and supporting Live Oak students.
“Ben and the student creative team are charged with helping achieve our clients’ goals and vision,” Vincent said. “And they know how to accomplish that, and do it at a high level.”
"It's exciting to see how Live Oak continues to grow and exceed client expectations every semester,” Hannam said. “Our students are eager to put what they are learning in the classroom into practice at Live Oak. We remind students that it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver, but it’s clear that our students have the talent, skills and opportunities they need to succeed.”
Live Oak has seen a steady stream of awards in recent years, including prestigious awards from the American Advertising Federation and industry-specific recognition for environmental communications from the Go Green Awards.
Vincent noted that Live Oak students have the added challenge of “real clients,” often competing against other student groups that create work for imagined scenarios in a full-time class.
“Live Oak Communications is a one-credit-hour course where students research, develop strategy, and design work for real clients that achieve results in real time,” Vincent said. “It forces students to be nimbler and more resilient to champion strong communications designs in the face of time and client pressures, just like in the real world.”
About Live Oak Communications
Live Oak Communications is Elon University’s student-run strategic communications agency, providing students unique experiences partnering with numerous businesses, nonprofits and organizations to achieve their business goals through targeted, multiplatform strategies and tactics. Live Oak’s capabilities include public relations, advertising, video, web design, social media solutions, graphic design, corporate identity, analytics and more.