Five decades of advertising has taken Australian ads from VHS to VR, and QUT has played a pivotal role in every step.
In a competition celebrating five decades of advertising graduates, QUT alumni have won 4 of the 5 categories, a testament to our legacy as the first institution to offer an advertising degree in Australia.
Professor Gayle Kerr, a leading academic in advertising at QUT, is being recognised as the outstanding graduate for the first decade of advertising education;1974-1983.
“I enjoyed working in the advertising industry as a copywriter for more than a decade ,” Professor Kerr said.
“One of the best campaigns I worked on was for Tourism Queensland featuring Jacki McDonald from Hey Hey It’s Saturday!”
“And when I shifted to academia, I didn’t really leave the industry – instead I discovered that there was more than one way to use research, creativity and insight to persuade the customer to buy into the experience.”
Professor Kerr recognises that technology has always transformed the industry, but notes that QUT has always been, and continues to be, at the forefront of the advertising education field.
“QUT introduced the first advertising degree in Australia. 16 years ahead of the rest. Then the first advertising postgraduate course. The first IMC program. And even the first digital advertising unit. This innovation has always been driven by technology, but perhaps even more importantly, it has ignited the passion for learning within our industry.”
As advertising education continued to adapt, so did QUT graduates, as evidenced by Rem Bruijn, the Creative Director of Brainheart who is being recognised as the outstanding graduate in the second decade of advertising education; 1984-1993.
“35 years post graduation I am also reflecting upon the fact that I owe a debt of gratitude to QUT for a very enjoyable and rewarding career,” Mr Bruijn said.
“I actually enrolled in a Bachelor of Business Communications to study journalism, but discovered advertising and quickly changed lanes - I have been meeting remarkable people and been exposed to incredible opportunities ever since.”
At the turn of the century, technology was growing at a rapid pace and QUT advertising graduates were keeping up, led by QUT alumnus Justine Armour, who has been recognised as the outstanding graduate in the period from 1994-2003.
“Since I left QUT in 1998, my life and career have been a wild adventure from Brisbane to Sydney to Portland to New York, with clients and productions taking me to almost every corner of the world,” Ms Armour said.
“Becoming a creative and then creative leader at some of the best agencies in the world took hard work, commitment, and great mentors, but none of it would have happened without the foundation of learning and support I had as a young person.”
Matthew Moran, QUT alumnus and Global Head of Strategy for NEXT was recognised as the outstanding graduate for the period of 2014-2023.
“Even after a decade of life after QUT I still carry my experiences and learnings with me every day,” Mr Moran said.
“My favorite campaign I worked on would have to be PLAY NZ from Tourism New Zealand.”
“In the middle of Covid while borders were closed, we invited the world to PLAY NZ online via a gameplay walkthrough.”
As we commemorate the last 50 years of advertising education, it is clear that the next generation of graduates will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of advertising.
Current advertising student, Dominic O’Carroll shows the same optimism and spark as the graduates before him – and is looking toward the future of advertising.
“I chose to study advertising because I saw it as an opportunity to be creative and use out-of-the-box thinking to solve problems,” he said.
“I am excited to see how the industry evolves to embrace emerging technology.
“As a person it feels dystopic, but as an advertiser I am looking forward to what the industry looks like a decade or two from now as AR and AI help deliver personalised and interactive brand experiences.”
Fellow student Kirra Sultana is also excited to tackle the changing landscape of advertising, and celebrating the impact that advertising can have.
“I chose to study advertising because I have a passion for creatively making a positive difference in the community,” she said.
“I’m a strong believer that transparency, honesty, and genuine engagement from brands will become even more crucial as consumers become more aware.”
From print to digital, and towards an uncertain future including AI-driven marketing, advertising education has continuously evolved to meet the demands of a changing world.
“I always knew we produced amazing graduates at QUT but to also have the endorsement of some of the leading thinkers in the industry just makes it official,” Professor Kerr said.
“I’m thrilled that QUT graduates are being celebrated as outstanding industry leaders – with four decades out of five. And looking at the calibre of students in our current cohort, I’ve no doubt that we’ll see this trend carry on well into the future.”
Additional celebrations and competitions relating to this milestone anniversary can be found on the website: 50 years of advertising education.
Image at top: QUT Advertising Graduates recognised in the 50 years of advertising education celebration (Gayle Kerr, Justine Rowely, Rem Bruijn and Matt Moran). Images supplied.
QUT media contact:
Natassja Sharp, 07 3138 1842, natassja.sharp@qut.edu.au
After hours: 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au