Looking at the small, barren office on the third floor of the University’s Allen Hall, it may be hard to believe a professional advertising agency is housed there.
Allen Hall Advertising is a student-run advertising agency sponsored by the School of Journalism and Communication. This full-service agency, run by a group of nearly two dozen advertising majors, provides media planning for its handful of clients.
Bruno Rinaldi, this year’s AHA president, said the agency’s objective is for students to gain real-world experience working in advertising with clients who pay to receive AHA’s services.
This year, the agency’s clients include the University Bookstore, IntroDUCKtion, Lookout Gift Shop and Integrity Investment Services. And as of Nov. 14, the agency’s newest client is Bagel Sphere, a local restaurant chain owned by Jim Underwood. Underwood said he heard about AHA from a University student who worked at the downtown Eugene Bagel Sphere.
“We’re looking for some new ideas, which is eventually a change in appearance and logo,” Underwood said.
Underwood said he agreed to let AHA generate new marketing ideas for Bagel Sphere, but now it’s up to the students to see if their work is what Bagel Sphere wants.
“We’re going to evaluate the abilities of their creative department,” Underwood said. “We may or may not use what they give us, but they’re definitely talented enough to catch our attention.”
AHA has a portfolio full of local companies’ advertisements. In the past, they have done work for Ironworks Gym and KNRQ radio station. Rinaldi said these clients are being put on hold this year as the agency undergoes some restructuring.
Senior advertising major Mari Traverso, who serves as AHA’s co-director of new business, said the group has changed to become a full-service agency.
“We used to be a creative boutique,” Traverso said. “This year we have media planning, where we figure out what media reach is as effective as possible for our clients.”
Businesses once came to AHA seeking a certain kind of advertisement, but now the group tries to provide every aspect of advertising, Traverso said.
“Instead of a client coming to us and being specific, we advise those companies how to advertise,” Traverso said.
But AHA wasn’t always a profitable creative boutique. From the group’s formation in 1983 until 1986, AHA (known then as “Webfoot Advertising”) was a strictly nonprofit advertising agency. With the name change in 1986 came the change to earning profit with the advertising.
Last year, Rinaldi said he guessed AHA was paid about $2,000 for its services. But students don’t see a penny of that money, Rinaldi said. He said the money may eventually create some sort of endowment or scholarship, while the rest is used to cover the expenses of making the advertisements. A portion is also donated to the School of Journalism and Communication.
“They let us use a lot of their resources,” Rinaldi said. “We’re just returning the favor.”
One of those journalism school resources is Ann Maxwell, the group’s advisor. Maxwell also works as an associate journalism professor who teaches three advertising courses.
Maxwell said she has been with AHA for about 10 years, and has stayed because she likes the students. But during the time she has been with AHA, Maxwell said she has noticed increasing professionalism in the students’ work.
Ten years from now, Maxwell said she pictures AHA becoming even more successful.
“Who knows, they could have New York clients,” Maxwell said.
For the future, Rinaldi said the group hopes to attract more clients and bigger businesses, as well as encouraging more student involvement.
Rinaldi said the organization isn’t open to just advertising majors.
“If people are interested and can do some good work for us, we’re definitely open to having non-majors participate,” Rinaldi said.