Advertising Students Take Home Two ADDYs and an ADC Gold Cube

Getting your foot in the door in advertising can be challenging, but two Academy of Art University advertising school students just gained an impressive edge. Shravan Hegde and Michael Waldman won big in two world-renowned advertising competitions, taking home a Gold and a Silver ADDY award as well as an Art Directors Club Gold Cube.
Both art directors, Shravan and Michael make an unusual duo in advertising, where art directors are typically paired with copywriters. Encouraged by their respect for each other's work, they teamed up to create fresh and original ads that got the attention of the competition judges.
For their print campaign for Mission Bicycle in San Francisco, which won a Gold ADDY award, the two students looked to local cyclists for inspiration. The final ads, in which riders make up the frame of their bike, cut to the heart of cyclists' connection with their bikes. "We were intrigued by the fact that each bike was representative of its rider's personality," said Shravan.
Their campaign for Blu Tack, a series of magazine ads personifying the adhesiveness and strength of the product, also won a Silver ADDY award. "It was nice to have someone with no bias and complete honesty give that kind of recognition to my work. It's humbling," Michael said.