Classroom lessons put to the test

Royton Varkey, an advertising student at Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC), got a rare chance to put his education to the test in a beyond-the-classroom experience on Saturday.

Royton Varkey, an advertising student at Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC), got a rare chance to put his education to the test in a beyond-the-classroom experience on Saturday.

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XIC students pitched ad proposals to prominent clients as part of a course module called 'Live Project' that allowed students a rare glimpse into the workings of the ad industry.

Varkey said he was very nervous to pitch an idea of an online portal to buy and sell lenses and spectacles. “We certainly referred to the basics taught in the classrooms while preparing for the final meeting but the real time learning was different. It was a good platform which allowed us to meet people from the industry and helped us find out how advertising firms function.”

The preparatory work for the module kick-started in September and comprised of three stages.

Students first carried out extensive research of their market of choice and then selected a client.

This was followed with client meetings at regular intervals and discussions of ideas and campaigns. The final stage involved showcasing the execution of the idea.

The class of 60 was divided into six groups representing client servicing departments to companies such as Lawrence and Mayo for an online portal to buy and sell lenses, JLT wines for their new product launch targeting the youth and Circle K to promote custom made jewellery.

The presentations were judged and criticised by experts from the ad agencies and also by clients themselves.

Naina Rajpaal, 24, who was part of the group that pitched for Circle K said, “The criticisms will help us know our mistakes and enable us to learn the tricks of the trade.”