It Started As A Fascination With Shampoo Bottles. It Turned Into A Career Path.
My story starts in the shampoo aisle at Walgreens, circa 2014. As I strolled through the aisles looking for a shampoo that would keep my frizzy hair at bay, I realized something.
I realized that I was fascinated by the bottles wrapped in a beautiful design, decorated with colorful descriptions including charming words like “luxurious,” “creamy,” and “nourishing.” As I happily bounced out of the store, brand new shampoo bottle in hand, I had a curious thought: “Wow, I’d love to design these labels for a living.” I really had no clue what that meant at the time– but that hidden passion led me to where I am today– a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a B.S. in Advertising.
I didn’t remember this shampoo story for a long time. Funny enough, I started my freshman year of college as a Journalism major. I knew that I had a natural talent for writing and decided to run with it. As the year progressed, I realized that something was missing. After a few breakdowns about not knowing what to do with my life, a VERY brief moment as a Kinesiology major, and several career quizzes, I applied to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. I was accepted at the beginning of my sophomore year. Everything finally felt right.
My classes began, and I learned the art of a creative brief, the power of a good headline, and all about advertising legends like William Bernbach and David Ogilvy. I loved the rush of turning a sliver of an idea into an entire campaign that could impact and engage global audiences. My advertising curriculum has been taught by an extraordinary group of seasoned professors that have inspired me to think outside of the box with every insight, project, and campaign.
The thrill of writing a brilliant headline, coming up with fresh new insights, and designing a captivating print ad will never get old.
I’m graduating this May, and I couldn’t be more excited to finally get my hands dirty with real agency work. I understand that advertising might be one of the most misunderstood fields out there– perceived to consist only of annoying television breaks that disrupt Sunday afternoon football games. But Mr. Whipple is dead. Advertising is a business necessity that turns the gears of our economy at any given second– improving a client’s overall business, expanding the breadth of a market, and improving a product that, in turn, can improve millions of lives.
Even more than that– advertising is an art form, and I can’t wait until the day I design my first shampoo bottle (metaphorically or literally).
