On November 15th, TrunkBBI had the pleasure of taking part in the nationwide initiative ‘Advertising Unlocked’, organised by the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). A total of 90 agencies, including TrunkBBI, opened their doors to 20 enthusiastic school students. We invited them to get under the bonnet of life in a marketing agency, while showcasing careers to the next generation of advertising talent. With a jam-packed agenda, the event offered students a unique opportunity to gain insights into the industry. And for staff at TrunkBBI, it gave us fresh perspectives on everyday marketing challenges.
The day-long event provided an immersive experience for the young participants. Divided into teams, the students were set a challenging task — to launch and promote a fictional (but highly believable) household product. From GLEAM (a personalised toothbrush), through to PoochPop (a flavoured beverage for dogs) and CalcoCup (a colour-changing travel mug), the teams were each given a visualised product and supporting marketing brief to bring this to life.
Students had the opportunity to work with experts in our departments to put together an outstanding product pitch. During the event, the students also heard from various departments about their personal experience in industry as well as the various career options and routes into the agency world.
The most successful part of the event came down to the focus on collaboration and teamwork. As the students were paired with industry professionals, they quickly discovered that marketing is a field thriving on collective effort, creativity, and communication. To excel in their task, students had to approach it as a team, pooling their individual strengths and ideas to develop a cohesive and appealing marketing proposal.
The presentations were a resounding success – pitching ideas from TikTok take overs, to AR pet hunt gamification and pop-up dental practices. Students let their creativity flow and pushed each of the experts to take a fresh look at some of the more traditional responses to media.
This event was a first for TrunkBBI but marks an important step into future student engagement programmes. TrunkBBI are currently in discussions with running similar programmes for young professionals looking to experience their first taste of agency-life.
If you’d like to know more about life at TrunkBBI, please visit our Careers page, to learn more about our inclusive and nurturing culture and career options available. We’d love to hear from you!
