Ad Club

Ad Club hits the ‘Target’

Twenty-seven advertising majors were right on target this fall as they traveled to Minneapolis to learn more – first-hand – about their chosen career field.

Bob Thacker, vice president, marketing, for Target Stores, invited the Ad Club to Minneapolis last spring when Thacker was on campus to speak at the J Days Honors Convocation. Wayne Melanson, Ad Club advisor, said Thacker talked to students about field trips he and his classmates had taken when he was an advertising major at UNL. HE promised the Ad Club he would help make arrangements for a trip to Minneapolis this fall.

So the students took Thacker up on his offer. They left Lincoln Oct. 28. The next day the students had lunch at Target headquarters, where they were warmly greeted by Thacker. Lunch was followed by a tour of the building and a preview presentation of Target’s 1994 Christmas campaign.

Then the students participated in brain-storming session with Target marketing employees, helping generate idas about how Target could reach the college-age market. Like members of all Target focus groups, the students received goodies to thank them for their time and input: gift certificates, calendars, T-shirts and Target’s ‘animal of the season,” Lamb Chop the puppet.

In addition to their visit to Target, the ad majors toured two advertising agencies, Martin Williams Advertising, Inc., and Cambell-MithunEsty. And they stopped at Wilson Griak Film Prouction, one of Minnesota’s top television commericial production facilities.

Of course, the trip also included some extracurricular events. The group attended a benefit concert for the St. Paul Chamber Orcestra that featured Garrison Keillor of “A Prairie Home Companio.” The tour also spent a few hours at the Mall of America, billed as the largest shopping mall in the nation.

Melanson said he and the students appreicated all the help Thacker provided for the trip. “All we did was raise the money and reserve the vans,”

Melanson said. Target made hotel arrangments, contacted the other businesses the tour visited and provided tickets for the concert.

Melanson said he hopes to take another Ad Club tour to Minneapolis next fall. The “Target connection” makes the Twin Cities an appealing site, he said, as does the fact that Minneapolis “has a highly developed advertising community.” That makes it a logical destination for a visit by aspiring advertising professionals.

In the meantime, the Ad Club is working toward its next big target, a two-day Meet the Pros event to be held in Omaha in February. Students making that trip will tour Omaha advertising agencies, hear speakers and learn more about advertising careers.