Each year, the Graphic Design and Illustration (GD+I) faculty at the School of Visual Art and Design encourage students to participate in the prestigious American Advertising Awards, hosted by the American Advertising Federation. Regarded as the largest and most representative advertising competition in the world, the awards draw over 25,000 entries annually. This rigorous, three-tiered event highlights creative excellence across all media types and experience levels. Entrants compete locally, with top winners advancing to the district and national stage, where they vie for the coveted ADDY Awards—the highest mark of excellence in the art of advertising.

Sarah Hoffman, a recent alumna of the GD+I program (Class of 2024), distinguished herself in this year's competition. Hoffman won gold ADDYs at both the local and district levels, paving the way for her to compete at the national level. At the AAF Gala held this May in Salt Lake City, Hoffman continued her winning streak, earning Gold in Cross Platform Integrated Brand Identity Campaign and Silver in Elements of Advertising: Illustration.

In this Q&A, Hoffman shares insights into her creative process, reflects on the support she received from GD+I faculty, and offers valuable advice for current students looking to make their mark in top-tier design competitions.

Q: Tell us about the creative process you employed for the award-winning project. Did you have a particular source of inspiration? 

Both my national awards came from a project I did rebranding Peebles, a local sports bar in Columbia. I started the project being really inspired by menu designs I had seen that included fun little illustrations, and packaging design from chicken shops like PDQ. I created a completely hand drawn menu at the start of this project, which was so fun to do. So much of the work I had been doing up to that moment was on the computer, and I really wanted to get back to pen and paper. The project then grew into a full brand identity and suite that included logos, hand drawn fonts, brand colors, illustrations, patterns, mockups, website stills and gifs. I really wanted to make sure personality and illustrations were at the heart of this project, so I drew all my illustrations by hand. This really helped me not overthink things, which I think I’m prone to do at my computer. 

Q: Was this project completed as part of a SVAD class project?

Yes! This was part of Process and Systems (ARTS 346) with Meena Khalili, who was a huge support for this project. The course allows students to create the work that they are passionate about, then choose one idea to create a cohesive and comprehensive final project with. Meena really helped me push with this project to create SO many elements for this project, which really helps it look and feel more impressive. She really helped me think about the customer’s entire experience in a restaurant and how I can translate that into my project. This class was definitely my favorite of college! It was so fun to develop this project and see everybody else’s work because it was so different from my own! 

Q: How has your education and training in SVAD's GD+I program prepared you for participating in prestigious competitions such as the American Advertising Awards?

I had never heard of AAF before college, so my professors introducing me to this award competition changed my life in ways I can’t even imagine! My first year at AAF, I made connections, which would then lead to my first internship, which I believe helped my job search post grad, so I am SO grateful for AAF and my professor’s belief in my work. Special thanks to Meena Khalili for having confidence in this project! I would say my years at SVAD have helped me think of projects more cohesively, and with a goal in sight. My professors have helped me better understand the world of advertising, user experience, audience expectations, and other artists and designers I now look up to. So many things that I couldn’t even fathom thinking about four years ago!

 

Q: Reflecting on your time at USC, what advice would you offer to fellow SVAD students who aspire to excel in competitions like these?

I would say, first of all, enter! I could be wrong, but I feel like these competitions are really looking for more students to enter. My first year at AAF, I got gold in some categories that didn’t have any other silver or awards so I feel like they didn’t have any other entries for those categories. Figure out which work you’re most passionate and confident in, and believe in your own capabilities! Also research competitions in the fields you’re interested in going into and research the judges’ work if you can! Also, some great advice I got from a professor, is just make sure you follow all the rules. So many competitions have so many small formatting requirements and forms for entries. Even though it can be tedious, make sure that going through your entry won’t be a frustrating experience for the judges. Make it as easy to understand and enjoyable for them!

At the end of the day though, I would say that competitions are not the penultimate of college or my future career. Even though it felt amazing to have validation in my work, I kept thinking that if I had never won anything or even entered this competition, it wouldn’t change the value of my work. Every judge in every competition has their own backgrounds, and are looking for things that are completely different. Something that won one year might not have won another year, so it was really important for me to remember that.

 

Q: What are your post-graduation plans and how did your involvement in this competition contribute to realizing those plans? How do you envision continuing to nurture your creativity and professional growth in the industry?

I found out about my national awards right after graduation and right after I started my current job! I’m a graphic designer at Local Boy Outfitters in Columbia, and I am loving it so far. The reaction and reception to this project has really allowed me to be more confident in my illustration abilities, and how they can have a place in my design work! While in the industry, I’ve already learned so much! I use YouTube very frequently to learn new skills and to achieve new styles in my illustration. It is a great thing to learn from others!