edcom x Taylors of Harrogate: Ad Venture Student Competition – The Shortlisted Campaigns of the 2024-2025 Edition have been announced!

The European Institute for Commercial Communications Education (edcom) and the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) are pleased to announce the shortlist of the 17th annual advertising student competition, Ad Venture, in collaboration with Taylors of Harrogate.

Ad Venture is the first pan-European competition that empowers over 300 communication students from across Europe and beyond to tackle real-life cases presented by actual clients. The winning team will enjoy an extraordinary opportunity to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity!

Rooted in a rich heritage of craftsmanship and quality, Taylors of Harrogate has been dedicated to the art of exceptional tea since its founding. With a deep respect for tradition and a passion for sustainability, Taylors® stands for excellence, authenticity, and innovation. Every blend is carefully crafted to deliver a refined and flavourful experience, ensuring that each cup is a celebration of taste, community, and the natural world.

In a fast-paced digital world where Gen-Z spends more time engaging on social media, Taylors of Harrogate is challenging students to harness their creativity and insights to connect with this new generation. The goal? To craft a fresh, standout, and culturally relevant brand identity through an innovative and stylish campaign that resonates with modern audiences.

The finalists of the 2024-2025 edition

Our jury of academics and industry representatives has evaluated the submitted projects. Out of 80 teams that entered the competition, only 10 were initially set to advance to the final stage. However, due to the exceptionally high level of entries and a tie in the evaluation, we have decided to include one additional project, bringing the total number of finalists to 11. Here is the complete list of finalists:

A sip of Britain a Smile from Austria, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Austria


Break the Etiquette, ESP Paris, France


Brewing a Better Person, University of the Arts London, UK


Experience the present one sip at a time, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria


Me Time? Tea Time!, Howest University of Applied Sciences, Belgium


Obviously British, Panthéon Assas, France


Reconnecting with the True Meaning of Life, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria


TeaTime Machine, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria


Trust your sip, Fontys Hogeschool Tilburg, The Netherlands


“We have wine, you have tea”, ESP Paris, France


Worth the Wait, Fontys Hogeschool Tilburg, The Netherlands


What is happening next?

Ten jurors will be invited to an online session on March 20th, moderated by our Jury Chair, Jo Booth. Jurors will assess the 11 projects and select the three best works that will advance to the final stage of the competition. The three finalists will pitch in front of our jury and the client on April 25th in the Hague (The Netherlands), hosted by our member The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

The top three teams will be announced on Monday, 24 March.

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For more information, please contact Francesco, Project Officer at Francesco.bottegal@eaca.eu

Notes to Editors

About Ad Venture Student Competition

Organised by the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education (edcom) and the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), Ad Venture is the first Pan-European competition that gives students the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in advertising by creating their own campaign in response to a brief from a real client.

About edcom

edcom is the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education. It strives to promote excellence in commercial communications education and research and to further exchanges between the European commercial communications sector and academic partners. Edcom was founded by EACA together with the founding academic partners in 2007. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About EACA

The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) represents more than 2 500 communications agencies and agency associations from nearly 30 European countries that directly employ more than 120 000 people. EACA members include advertising, media, digital, branding and PR agencies. EACA works closely with EU institutions to ensure freedom to advertise responsibly and creatively. For more information, visit www.eaca.eu. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn.

Arnoud Versluis and Kirstie Riedl elected as edcom Presidents 2024-2028

Arnoud Versluis of Breda University of Applied Sciences and Kirstie Riedl of Fachochschule Wiener Neustadt have been elected as Presidents of edcom, the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education, for the 2024-2028 term. Their watchword ‘Touch and be touched,’ emphasizing collaboration across borders and the human dimension in achieving impactful results. 

In their candidacy letter, they outlined a strategic focus on key clusters including education, research, industry, network, and alumni. Their vision is to strengthen the interconnectedness within the edcom community, leveraging the extended term to foster innovative ideas in collaboration with the board and members. 

Edcom, established in 2007 by EACA (the European Association of Communications Agencies), is dedicated to promoting excellence in commercial communications education and research. It aims to enhance communication and cooperation between the European commercial communication sector and academic partners, facilitate cross-border education and employment opportunities, and advance knowledge of innovative advertising and communication techniques. 

Kirstie Riedl commented “Being a part of the edcom network has been such an enriching experience over the past years. Now to be elected to President alongside Arnoud, is a genuine honour. We see our joint presidency as a way to indicate the value of collaboration across borders and view the extended term of four years as a genuine opportunity to work on new ideas with our board and members for the future. We will build on those established clusters of collaboration in education, research and industry and at the same time integrate sustainability into edcom´s vision to ensure that our current actions support the well-being of future communications professionals.” 

“Honoured to serve Edcom in a joint Presidency with Kirstie Riedl and to build upon the value edcom offers. The community where learning and sharing knowledge is the way to go. And by making the connection with all members for students with industry in joint projects and pan-European competition to benefit from. Edcom is the symbol of what is possible if we believe in the magic of imagination, connection, and sustainable action. Let’s touch and be touched!” added Arnoud Versluis. 

For more information, please contact Francesco Bottegal, Project Officer, at francesco.bottegal@eaca.eu.

Notes to Editors

About Ad Venture Student Competition

Organised by the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education (edcom) and The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), Ad Venture is the first Pan-European competition which gives students the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in advertising by creating their own campaign in response to a brief from a real client.

About edcom

edcom is the European Institute for Commercial Communications Education. It strives to promote excellence in commercial communications education and research and to further exchanges between the European commercial communications sector and academic partners. Edcom was founded by EACA together with the founding academic partners in 2007. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About EACA

The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) represents more than 2,500 communications agencies and agency associations from nearly 30 European countries that directly employ more than 120.000 people. EACA members include advertising, media, digital, branding and PR agencies. EACA works closely with EU institutions to ensure freedom to advertise responsibly and creatively. For more information, visit www.eaca.eu. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn.