Tuesday, May 08, 2007

An open letter to Dr. Ed Adams, BYU Communications Department Head (I also sent it to him).

Dr. Adams,

I've just graduated from the Advertising program, and I wanted to send you my thanks and thoughts about the program. I hope I'm not violating protocol by writing you directly.

I'm in San Francisco now doing freelance work, and in a month I'm headed off to the most prestigious internship in the country, for a copywriter. I worked in the Ad Lab for my whole last year at BYU, and while interviewing for work here in one of advertising's main hubs I'm finding that my Ad Lab experience has made me more prepared than many other job candidates, including some with more industry experience under their belts.

I visited a prominent ad agency today to have lunch with another Ad Lab alumnus. To his colleagues, he didn't introduce me as a "school buddy" or even "former co-worker", although those are true; he introduced me as having worked in the Ad Lab, because of the clout it holds there. Someone referred to it in response as "the Harvard of advertising schools." It's only now that I'm away from BYU that I'm able to see how remarkable the advertising program is, and especially the Ad Lab. It's one of a kind, Dr. Adams, and it's likely preparing students for jobs better than any other undergraduate advertising program in the country.

The advertising faculty is outstanding all around, but both you and I know that the Ad Lab has reached its level of national acclaim because of Jeff Sheets. He's done a tremendous amount for my future, as well as (I'm sure) a great number of other students. He's done so much, and he can use all the help you can send his way.

I don't know how much of this actually gets back to you, so I wanted to let you know how well-respected the advertising program, and especially the Ad Lab, is in the industry.

RP
Former Creative Director, BYU Ad Lab

2 comments:

xaque said...

i second that and am in the process of writing my own letter. well done

Thirdmango said...

Now I want to go through the Ad Lab.