16 ideas from Media Design School make finalist cut at global Ad Stars and Student Orcas Awards

In the space of just one week, the creative ad students at MDS have heard that they’ve not only been shortlisted 12 times across 3 categories for the international AdStars, they’ve also scored 4 out of a total of 5 finalist places in the Student Orcas.

So, big congratulations to our 4 teams shortlisted in the AdStars Innovation category: Alayna Martinez & Slade McDonald for Vans Off The Wall Paint; Ashleigh Reid & Jackson Bliss for Durex by Spotify: Slade McDonald & Steve Jamieson for Durex Phone Sex; and Jaymi Redpath & Maraea Walker for Rekindle.

And a standing ovation to our AdStars Print finalists: Grace Bader & Luke Ryan for Bag Block (Mental Health Foundation); Aleyna Martinez & Steve Jamieson for Cathartic Cooking (Mental Health Foundation); Darryl Ng & Jackson Bliss for Peace Among Passengers (VW) and double congratulations to Jaymi Redpath & Patrick Sutton for scoring two shortlisted ideas, Brestaurants and Food Breasts, for the same brief from mumsnet.com.

In the AdStars Video category, congratulations to Laurena Roquero & Max Barrow for Durex Grow; Grace Bader & Luke for Nike Footprint; and Max Barrow & Steve Jamieson for UsGrammarly.

And for the Student Orca finalists, high fives to Mareae Walker & Max Barrow for Aged Beautifully, Unlike You (Puhoi Cheeses); Grace Bader & Harley Wise for Vogel’s Matariki Bread; and double congratulations to Ashleigh Reid & Jackson Bliss for their two Vogel finalists ideas, You Don’t Toast it, You Cook it & It’s Not Bread it’s Vogels.

Says Kate Humphries, programme director for Creative Advertising at MDS: “It’s a great haul across a number of categories, which means every component area we’ve taught so far this year has been acknowledged by industry judges both nationally and internationally but we couldn’t have done that without input from industry-so, a huge thanks to our industry guests who came in to critique specific projects: Beth O’Brien & Thom Darlow (Colenso); Ossie Amir (CEO Carbon Valley); Allan Parr (Mukpuddy Animation), and Lorenz Perry (Saatchi & Saatchi); as well as the industry panellists who came in to critique all the students’ ideas for AdStars: Kent Briggs (Ogilvy); Ashwin Gopal (TBWA), Rob Cook (BCF Dentsu); Renee Bryant (DDB); Cameron Watts & Tom Davies (Special; Liz Richards & Nick Dellabaraca (Pitchblack Partners).

“As for the student Orca judges (Peter Vegas & Leisa Wall (FCB); Steve Hansen & JP Twaaalfhoven (Clemenger BBDO), and Hannah Habgood (99)) know that David Bell and I are currently pulling strings left right and centre, with the help of Ally Watt at TRB, to get all those finalists recorded for the final round of judging next week.

“With all of the above generously donating their time, every single person in this year’s intake has an idea or ideas shortlisted either in innovation, film, print or radio. Which, we think is a pretty promising way to have brought our updated, brand new qualification – the Grad Dip in Creative Advertising – to half-time.”