Three of the students selected; Brandon Burns, Danny Kim, and Shonda Womack, had been previously recognized for their talents and interest in advertising by BBDO as recipients of the BBDO Minority Education and Training (MET) Fund. Brandon Burns was a BBDO MET Fund scholarship recipient. Danny Kim was a MET intern in the BBDO Chicago office. Shonda Womack was a MET intern in the BBDO Detroit office.
The BBDO MET Fund is financed by individual contributions from within BBDO and specifically earmarked for academic scholarships and internships for minorities, women, and individuals protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act to encourage the pursuit of careers in advertising.
The BBDO MET Fund program consists of scholarships and internships awarded by all seven BBDO agencies throughout the United States. Since its inception in 2000, the BBDO MET Fund has given out $420,000 to more than 124 individuals from 74 different schools. The recipients have included students from a wide variety of schools such as Cornell, Howard, Ithaca College, Michigan State, Morris Brown, NYU, Princeton, Rutgers, Texas A&M, UCLA, University of Georgia, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota and University of South Carolina, just to name a few. High School seniors have also received awards.
Allen Rosenshine, Chairman of BBDO Worldwide, said, "As the population continues to become more diverse, our industry needs to become more diverse in order to communicate with consumers effectively. In addition to supporting minorities simply because it is the right thing to do, it is also a matter of fulfilling our business mandate to provide a voice for our clients' brands that will be heard by all potential consumers." He added, "As one of the leading agencies, it is only appropriate that for these reasons BBDO take a proactive role in bringing greater diversity to our industry."
To be considered for a BBDO MET Fund scholarship or internship, students are required to complete a BBDO MET Fund application as well as submit two letters of recommendation, their academic transcript and an essay regarding why they want to pursue a career in advertising. A Selection Committee at each BBDO U.S. agency reviews entries, and nominations are then submitted for final approval to the BBDO MET Fund Advisory Committee. Winners are notified by the appropriate BBDO agency and awards are distributed by the New York Community Trust, which manages the fund.
Headquartered in New York City, BBDO Worldwide is Omnicom Group's largest agency with 290 offices in 77 countries. BBDO develops and executes marketing and communications plans for many of the world's best known brands. Its professional commitment is captured in the agency's operating mantra, "The Work. The Work. The Work." It is this focus on the work which has helped BBDO earn the distinction of being the most creative agency network in the world over the last six years as reported by The Gunn Report.
BBDO Worldwide is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. . Omnicom is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.
BBDO
© 2005 PR Newswire
