IAA announces four student finalist teams for creative competition the IAA BIG IDEA 2024: Edith Cowan University team makes the cut

The International Advertising Association (IAA Australia) has announced the IAA BIG IDEA 2024 finalists who have been selected to pitch in the national challenge on 11 November 2024.

The four teams hail from University of Canberra, University of Technology Sydney, Edith Cowan University and University of Queensland.

The Top 4 finalists teams are:

TUTELA – University of Canberra (UC–ACT)
ECOADVENTURES – University of Technology Sydney (UTS-NSW)
BOOMERANG ONE – Edith Cowan University (ECU-WA)
NEWISH CREATIVES – University of Queensland (UQ-QLD)

The finalist teams will pitch their campaign presentations “live” to the judges on 11 November following which the winning team will be selected and announced as the IAA BIG IDEA 2024 National Champions.

This year’s IAA BIG IDEA challenge is to create an innovative, high impact campaign to develop and support a local initiative that reflects the Volvo Cars comppany’s purpose which Australians will connect with.

Says Julie Hutchinson, marketing director, Volvo Cars: “Volvo Cars is delighted to participate in the IAA ‘Big Idea’ 2024. The program allows a business like ours to give back to the industry, to foster talent and offer hands on training and development for undergraduates entering the field of marketing and communications. We saw this as a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into our brand from some of Australia’s brightest strategic thinkers. I have been impressed by the creative ideas and approach that we have seen from this upcoming generation, and I can’t wait to see future ‘Big Ideas’ come to life as these young professionals take up positions across the industry.”

Says Heather Leembruggen, chair, IAA Australia: “IAA BIG IDEA provides hundreds of undergraduate students all over Australia with an inspiring learning experience giving them the chance to put their learnings into practice and providing lots of scope for innovative ideas, critical thinking and creative solutions. IAA BIG IDEA is designed specifically to foster the talents and skills of the upcoming generation of communications professionals, in line with the IAA’s ongoing commitment to professional development and the value proposition embodied in the IAA’s stated mission that ” We believe education and continuous professional development ensures our industry is future ready.”

This year’s judges include:
Rose Herceg, Wpp Australia & New Zealand – President (Chair Of Jury)
Julie Hutchinson, Volvo Cars – Marketing Director
Andrew Knox, Volvo Cars – Brand Marketing Manager Australia
Nick Thomas, Lution – Chief Strategy Officer
Dan Richardson, Yahoo! – Director Of Data & Insights, Apac
Justine Leong, Akqa – General Manager
Victoria Seymour, Mumbrella – Commercial Director

To find out more about the IAA BIG IDEA 2024 competition, click here.