Elevator Pitch
Name: Ellie Westbrook
Age: 19
Degree: Advertising with Public Relations (PR)
Why did you choose that degree in particular?
I wanted to study Advertising with PR because I found the subject area interesting, I would look at magazines, billboards and TV adverts and think wouldn’t it be great to be able to create images that people get to see everyday. I have studied business for 4 years prior and thought it would tie in well with knowledge I already have. I wanted to study advertising as research into the industry made me realise I couldn’t just jump straight in, therefore my degree has allowed me to learn about the industry at a more in depth level and prepare me for working in the industry with plenty of knowledge.
Is there an area of advertising or PR that interests you?
I enjoy all types of advertising and PR however, I am particularly fond of ambient and outdoor advertising. This is because I feel it has the potential to get audience more involved with the advert itself and consequently the brand. I regularly read article on sites such like Mashable.com, adweek.com, marketingweekly.com, guardian.co.uk and many different blogs. This enables me to get more involved with the advertising industry and greater my knowledge and understanding.
However, in terms of job opportunities I would like to work on the agency side and become a senior account manager, because I have good leadership skills and a high level of customer service. This would mean clients would get a close relationship with the agency enabling the client and agency to work together and create extraordinary results.
Do you have a favourite campaign?
My favourite campaign is from Argentina, produced by Oglivy for Coca-Cola. The campaign was built around friendship day in South America. A Coca-Cola vending machine was specially created twice the height of normal machines and distributed in 7 different countries. In order for consumers to get and bottle of Coca-Cola they had to work together to put money and the machine and get 2 for 1. I enjoyed this specially because it got people involved with the brand, created a lot of positivity and press for Coca-Cola. It not only increased sales of Coca-Cola in vending machines but also became a big talking point on blogs and media outlets.
Where would you like to work?
I would like to work on the agency side for Wieden + Kennedy, in the past few years they have received some prestigious awards, from silver gongs to cannes lions for the work in advertising. Working for this company would push me to be a better advertiser and be a part of some interest and innovative campaigns. However, in general I would love to work in media placement and/or in Ambient media sector.
However, if I was to work on client side I would love to work for brands like John Lewis, Apple, Bose or Innocent, these are more luxury brands but my respect for their business and marketing models quite high.
What can you offer to the industry?
I can offer a high level of customer service this enable me to work in stressful situations and still be able to work well with others. Through working part-time as a waitress and group work activities at university I am able to lead projects to a successful end point whilst also taking a back seat to achieve task being set by others. I am more of an analysiser than quick thinker this enables me to study a idea in depth and make sure it would be a success rather than making an chance on an idea that has a bigger chance of failure.
