Over the weekend, 22squared hosted Mobilize, its annual advertising competition, in which it reaches out to the local community and galvanizing creative talent to lend a hand to a local non-profit. Student teams competed for an opportunity to produce an advertising campaign for this year’s non-profit, Eckerd Kids.
In the competition, five student teams had 48-hours to create an advertising campaign focused on raising awareness for Eckerd Kids. The teams competed for a variety of prizes, and of course, the pièce de résistance, seeing their creative concept come to life in a real-world advertising campaign.
“We are proud to have Eckerd Kids as our client for our fourth annual event and can’t wait to see all the great student work to come,” Shane Needham, vice president and director of production, 22squared, stated. “Many thanks to all our sponsors without whom this would not be possible. We are incredibly excited to see this event continue to grow each year and as a contribution to our community and our industry.”
Selected students are actively pursuing a degree in creative, advertising, marketing, PR or communications area of study, and this year 22squared has applicants from all around the Southeast including USF, FSU, Ringling, SCAD, UGA, UNC Chapel Hill and University of Alabama, among others. 22squared received over 110 applications for 25 spots.
“Mobilize 2017 offers us the chance to engage with outrageously-talented, up-and-coming marketing and advertising minds who will help bring new perspectives to the complex issue of foster home recruitment,” Eckerd Kids’ Director of Development Operations, Chris Harrell, CFRE, said, in a release. “Eckerd Kids has always been about providing youth with opportunities to succeed and we are truly honored by the opportunity to work alongside 22squared and the amazing students participating in this event.”
Mobilize 2017 sponsors include: Hulu; Spotify; Pandora; RadiumOne; Clear Channel Outdoor; Yahoo; iHeart Media; Yume, Varick Media Management; Cut & Run; ASD; Master Maintenance; Rudre Properties; Elite Group, Carrabba’s; Moxie’s; Moe’s; Little Greek; Pita Pit; Bruegger’s Bagels and Jersey Mike’s.
This is the fourth year for the Mobilize initiative in Tampa, and sixth for the agency. Last year, the effort benefitted The Spring of Tampa Bay, with a comprehensive advertising campaign, entitled #PeaceInPurple, which was a social awareness activation asking people to wear purple lipstick in support of domestic violence survivors. The cosmetics brand, Mary Kay, donated 450 tubes of purple lipstick to The Spring that was passed out at their annual luncheon.
