Copy by Hannah Valencia, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas – Students from the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities at West Texas A&M University won several ADDY awards at the 2022 American Advertising Awards, hosted by AAF Amarillo, on Feb. 17.

The mission of the American Advertising Awards is to “recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.” The local tier of the Advertising Awards is the first of a three-tier, national competition. A Gold ADDYis recognition of the highest level of creative excellence and a Silver ADDY goes to entries that are also considered outstanding and worthy of recognition.

WT students from the Department of Communication and the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance won a total of 13 ADDY Awards this year: eight Silver and four Gold ADDYs, plus a Special Judges Award.

Adrian Ballesteros, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo, won three Gold ADDYs, two Silver ADDYs and the Special Judges Award for his projects. All five of his submissions received an award. His “White Claw Rebrand” won both a Gold ADDY and the Special Judges Award.

“When I went up to get all of those awards, it just felt surreal,” Ballesteros said. “I guess it was a confirmation of my ability as a designer to be able to create something that I’m proud of.”

Jacob Toon, a junior digital communication and media major from Lewisville, worked on audio for the “City of Canyon 2021-2022 Budget” video that won a Gold ADDY. Toon said the experience of winning an ADDY was exhilarating.

“When you see the final product and how well it flows together, [considering] how many script changes there were and how many times we had to reshoot it, it’s really nice seeing that final project and it was really nice to win an award for it,” Toon said.

Sophia Britto, a senior digital communication and media major from Amarillo, was the Creative Team Lead for the Pak-A-Sak campaign and director for the “Welcome to Canyon, Texas” video, both of which received Silver ADDYs. Britto said it was satisfying to win an award for projects she has contributed to.

“In the moment, you notice the flaws in your own work and always feel like you could’ve done better, but it was nice to be awarded by AAF and to be recognized on a professional level,” Britto said.

Matthew Rivers, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo, won a Silver ADDY for his graphic design project “E Pluribus Unum AMoA.” Rivers submitted six projects for ADDY consideration at the recommendation of his professor, Marcus Melton.

“I’m shocked that they picked the stuff that I thought was more of me expressing myself than me trying to win an award,” Rivers said.

Hannah Valencia, a senior communication studies major from Santa Rosa, Calif., was part of the 1910 PR team that won two Silver ADDYs for social media campaigns promoting the 1910 PR blog and the Communication Hall of Fame.

“It was very cool to see that student work can earn this level of recognition,” Valencia said. “It’s easy to get caught up in just doing something for class and not think about how it might be judged as a professional piece of work.”

Promoting quality, both in education and student work, is a key cornerstone of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.

The following is a list of ADDYs won by WT students:

Gold ADDY and Special Judges Award: “White Claw Rebrand”

• Designer: Adrian Ballesteros (Amarillo)
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Gold ADDY: “City of Canyon 2021-2022 Budget”

• Director: Jordan Conde (Dumas)
• Camera: Christian Guerrero (Hereford)
• Audio: Jacob Toon
• Adviser: Randy Ray

Gold ADDY: “Amalgamation”

• Animator: Adrian Ballesteros
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Gold ADDY: “US Currency Redesign”

• Designer: Adrian Ballesteros
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Silver ADDY: “Canyon Chamber of Commerce”

• Director: Carson Bradley (Plainview)
• Writer/Editor: Andrew Helterbran (Amarillo)
• Writer/Editor: Kara Villarreal (Anthony)
• Adviser: Randy Ray

Silver ADDY: “Teros Typeface Design”

• Type Designer: Adrian Ballesteros
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Silver ADDY: “Album Poster Concepts”

• Designer: Adrian Ballesteros
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Silver ADDY: “E Pluribus Unum AmoA”

• Graphic Designer: Matthew Rivers
• Adviser: Marcus Melton

Silver ADDY: “Pak-A-Sak Campaign Plans Book”

• Credit: WT Buffalo Advertising
• Adviser: Dr. Mary Liz Brooks

Silver ADDY: “Welcome to Canyon, Texas”

• Director: Sophia Britto
• Camera: Pedro Lama-Colon (Bedford)
• Editor: Tomi Moralez (Plainview)
• Adviser: Randy Ray

Silver ADDY: “Communication Hall of Fame Campaign”

• Credit: 1910 PR
• Adviser: Dr. Emily Kinsky

Silver ADDY: “Campaign for the 1910 PR Blog”

• Credit: 1910 PR
• Adviser: Dr. Emily Kinsky

About the WT Department of Communication

The WT Department of Communication houses two undergraduate programs: Communication Studies and Media Communication, with three areas of emphasis in each program as well as the option to seek teacher certification in speech or journalism. The master’s program offers two areas of emphasis: one in Communication and one in Media Management. Both can be completed online. For more information on the department, visitwtamu.edu/academics/college-fine-arts-humanities/department-communication/index.html.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.