Category: News

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.

-ends-

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.

The December Edcom Members’ Meeting, hosted at WPP in Brussels on December 10, 2024, was a day filled with meaningful discussions and forward-thinking collaboration. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who joined and shared their valuable insights, contributing to the success of this pivotal event.

Updates from the Secretariat

The membership report reflected the diverse strength of the network, now spanning 37 institutions across 16 countries. Recent additions from the UK, Romania, and Austria further highlight the network’s expanding reach. However, efforts to bridge regional gaps, especially in Northern, Eastern, and Southern Europe, remain a priority. We encourage members to support this growth by inviting institutional partners to join the network, aiming for one new partner per existing member.

Inspiring Presentations

The meeting featured two compelling presentations:

• Dr. Hyunsun Yoon discussed the significance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in advertising, drawing on real-world case studies from brands like H&M, Jo Malone, and Dolce & Gabbana. She explored how cultural context and accountability shape creative work, emphasizing the importance of polysemy in advertising — how content can have multiple interpretations based on different cultural and social lenses.
  
• David Grunewald, founder of Pluginto.ai, delivered a keynote on the transformative impact of AI in marketing. He illustrated AI’s potential to revolutionize creativity and strategy, citing examples such as Vodafone’s AI-generated ad. Dr. Grunewald urged attendees to view AI as a collaborator, not a replacement, and to embrace its potential for enhancing productivity and preparing students for an AI-driven future.

The recent Sprint Sessions sparked dynamic conversations across seven key themes: Education, Industry, Research, Alumni, and Ad Net Zero, with sub-themes explored within each. These sessions were designed to foster innovation and cross-collaboration among Edcom members.

• Education: Focused on strengthening connections between member universities, exploring ideas such as collaborative guest lectures, online participation, and city branding projects. New initiatives like the AI Hackathon and Issue Management projects were introduced to foster cross-border collaboration and enhance communication within the network.
  
• Industry: Discussions centered on building stronger ties with the industry. Key suggestions included better defining sponsorship opportunities to offer value to both brands and universities, linking student research to brand-driven projects through the Edcom Insights Factory, and creating an Annual Edcom Skills Report to better align academic training with industry needs.
  
• Alumni: A proposal to launch a LinkedIn alumni group was discussed to boost professional connections and alumni engagement. Additionally, appointing student representatives from each program was suggested to improve communication and participation.
  
• Research: Conversations centered around Gen Z engagement, persuasion strategies, and the evolving communications labor market. The creation of an Edcom Vodcast was proposed to help bridge the gap between academia and industry, with an emphasis on integrating student insights into research initiatives.
  
• Ad Net Zero: Initiatives within this cluster explored sustainability in advertising. Proposals included developing educational videos on Ad Net Zero’s framework, integrating sustainability into the AdVenture Competition, and offering students access to AdNetZero showcase sessions for practical learning.

These Sprint Sessions provided an invaluable opportunity to refine strategies, build stronger relationships, and develop concrete actions that will drive Edcom’s continued impact.

Want to learn more about the meeting? Click here and access the full report of the meeting.

As we wrap up 2024, we want to take a moment to celebrate the progress we have made together and look ahead to an exciting 2025. The Edcom meeting on December 10 at WPP in Brussels was a remarkable gathering filled with innovation, collaboration, and enthusiasm. The discussions and sprint sessions highlighted the passion and dedication of our members, laying the foundation for impactful initiatives in the year to come.

For those who couldn not join us, we have prepared a detailed recap of the meeting to ensure you stay informed and inspired. You can access it through this link.

We are deeply grateful to our Edcom community for your trust and engagement throughout the year. Your contributions are what make this network so dynamic and valuable, and we’re excited to continue building on this momentum together in 2025.

From all of us at Edcom, we wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, relaxation, and time with loved ones. Let’s enter 2025 ready to bring our ideas and projects to life!

Warm regards,
The Edcom Team