15 Apr Creativity Worth Stealing: ASI’s Marketing, Communication and Design’s Award-Winning Work
- ASI’s Marketing ,Communications and Design department won seven awards in a recent, national competition.
- The student workers who contributed to the wins received recognition for their hard work.
The Cal State Fullerton Associated Students Inc. Marketing, Communication and Design department (MCD) earned eight awards in the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) national “Steal this Idea” competition, further cementing its reputation of excellence in graphic design, marketing and video production.
Steal This Idea invites college union organizations to showcase their most innovative initiatives from the past year and received more than 300 entries from across the country. ASI’s MCD team, comprised of a full-service creative team of four professional and nearly 30 student staff, took home three first-place awards, three second-place, one third-place award and honorable mention.
These eight awards follow MCD’s back-to-back Best in Show wins at Steal This Idea in 2023 and 2024, and 30 awards overall since 2018.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have such a talented group of student designers and illustrators in our studio,” said MCD Design and Production Manager Mike Greenlee. “Everything they create is from scratch and thoughtfully crafted to reflect ASI in the best light.”
Top of their Competition
Of the seven awards ASI won, they received first place for “Best Promotional Campaign Created by Students,” “Best Poster Created by Students” and “Best Video/Animation Created by Students.”
The “Best Promotional Campaign” first place winning designs. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
The “Best Promotional Campaign” belonged to the 2024 Spring Concert Promotions put together by current and former MCD student employees Felipe Reblora, Ashley Mayes, Alan Quin, Ava Kendrena, Bella Kendrena, Matthew Manolo, Colin Vail, Hayley Garcia, Mauricio Nuñez and Sophie Fleming.
“Each spring concert is a new challenge and a fresh opportunity to push our creativity further,” said Mayes, a current social media lead in MCD. “There’s something about seeing your ideas and content come to life, knowing that you’ve contributed to something meaningful. While we are students, the experiences we’ve gained through ASI have truly transformed us helping us find our footing in the professional world and igniting a passion for the work we want to pursue.”
Alice Le’s First place Design for “Best Poster”/ Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
Along with the best campaign, the award for “Best Poster” was awarded to former MCD graphic design lead Alice Le for her work on the 2024 Tuffy’s Marketplace Poster.
The “Best Video/Animation” award went to visual media specialists Matthew Manalo and Colin Vail for their work on “Titan Outdoors Staff Gets Ready for Your Next Adventure!”
“When we were doing that video, we just wanted to make something we thought was cool, but to see other people recognize it as award-winning makes it even better.” Vail said. “We had this story that we wanted to tell, and it ended up executing really well, we really got to be in our element and shoot something that was a good story.”
Through these three wins, ASI’s MCD has earned 12 first-place awards in the last seven years.
Success in Strides
Along with those first-place wins, ASI MCD was also honored for receiving second place for “Best Logo/Brand Identity Created by Students,” “Best Social Media Campaign Created by Students” and “Best Interior/Wall Art Created by a Professional.”
Liza Orlina’s award winning design for her Camp Titan rebrand. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
The “Logo/Brand Identity” award went to graphic design lead Liza Orlina for her work on the 2024 Camp Titan rebrand.
“It feels good to be recognized,” Orlina said. “I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without the help of everyone around me, so it’s nice to know that other people have enjoyed the work I do and the designs I create.”
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The award for “Social Media Campaign” went to current and former MCD student employees Mayes, Ava Kendrena, Bella Kendrena, Quin, Manalo, Nuñez and Garcia for their 2024 Spring Concert social media promotions.
Mike Greenlee’s award winning design for the Titan Outdoors rental space. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
The “Interior/Wall Art” award went to Greenlee for his design for the Titan Outdoor Adventure wall in the new Titan Outdoors Rental Space.
The collaborative environment in MCD produces marketing and media to support ASI’s mission to enhance organizational excellence. At the same time, creative freedom and ownership given to student employees foster growth and inspire the creation of award-winning art. In this way, ASI’s student employees truly embody the spirit of “for the students, by the students.”
Beyond Expectations
Finally, ASI MCD received third place for Promotional Products created by students. Promotional products play a key role in providing outreach for events, advertising ASI through materials like water bottles, stress balls, tote bags, sunglasses, pens and more.
Sydney Hom and Tiffany Le’s award winning designs for their All Day ASI promotional items. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
The award went to design lead Sydney Hom and graphic designer Tiffany Le for their work on the 2024 “All Day ASI” promotional items.
“It’s nice to know that something Tiffany and I put so much effort into was recognized,” Hom said. “Even though some events are done every year, it’s fun how we get to put our own style into new designs every time.”
JoAnn Do-On’s nationally recognized design. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
Former graphic designer JoAnn Do-On also earned honorable mention for her work on the “Brush and Bliss” schedule.
Honor of the Year
ASI MCD staff with Suburb Talks during Titan Talks in November 2024. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
ASI’s MCD department works year-round to support ASI CSUF’s marketing and design needs, which allows student employees to develop as professionals while attending CSUF.
“What we do isn’t always easy,” said Greenlee. “These awards validate the time and energy [the students] pour into their craft, and they serve as powerful résumé and portfolio builders as they prepare for careers in the field.”