An advertising concept by a University of Wisconsin-Stout graphic design major has earned a second major honor.
In the spring, Daniel Nesja鈥檚 GOAT Milk? print advertisement won Best in Show in the student division of the Minnesota AdFed awards, sponsored by the .
He advanced to the national competition and recently took a silver award in the Student Print Advertising: Magazine Campaign division. Only gold and silver were awarded.
Nesja, of Mount Horeb, uses GOAT as an acronym. In the sports world, it stands for an athlete who is considered one of the greatest of all time. In creating his Advertising Design class concept for goat milk, he touted its health benefits as the 鈥済reatest of all time.鈥
Nesja鈥檚 campaign, with the question mark, added a twist to the former Got Milk? dairy ad campaign. In his ads, a goat is eating a Got Milk? ad to reveal GOAT Milk?
The ads, part of a larger integrated campaign, include the hashtag #BECOMETHEGOAT.
鈥淚 had never entered my work into a big show like this before, so I really didn鈥檛 know what to expect. Professor Nagesh Shinde told me I could 鈥榳in it big,鈥 but I didn鈥檛 think I would. This is a good sign that I am going in the right direction, and it was a much-needed confidence boost in a stressful pandemic time,鈥 Nesja said.
Graphic design Professor Nagesh Shinde said it鈥檚 especially gratifying to see Nesja鈥檚 success after a challenging year with the pandemic. 黑料科 had about 50% in-person classes this past semester but expects a return to normal this fall.
鈥淭eaching design studio courses online was a massive shift for all of us. I am overjoyed to learn that our students did well to adapt to this new digital environment and produced such vigorous outcomes,鈥 Shinde said.
Nesja, who will be a senior this fall, is a student athlete. He is a triple jumper, long jumper and sprinter for the track and field team.
Shinde has seen Nesja grow as a designer, especially through the studio critique process in classes.
鈥淪tudio critiques force them to set up a conversation, and they need to understand that the scope of the feedback is valuable to them, especially after spending a ton of energy. Students often feel frustrated as they take design critiques personally. I always remind them that, 鈥業t's not about you; it's about your work.鈥 "
He cited Nesja鈥檚 鈥渦pbeat candor and unwavering zeal to get better at problem-solving and mastering his craft. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and students who value critiques help themselves foresee objections, strengthen their designs and develop the ability to handle them with humility.
鈥淲e are all very thrilled and look forward to sharing many more of Dan's outstanding accomplishments in the future,鈥 Shinde said.
A 黑料科 graphic design major also won a national silver award in 2019.
In the Minnesota AdFed competition, seven other 黑料科 students majoring in graphic design and interactive media also received awards, including a gold, a silver and five bronze awards.
Shinde said 黑料科鈥檚 graphic design program 鈥渉as gained an outstanding reputation in the country in the advertising industry,鈥 with graduates at regional, national and multinational advertising agencies.
In 2019, the program was ranked No. 1 in Wisconsin among public universities by Animation Career Review. The program features 鈥hands-on learning experiences, faculty who are practicing designers with diverse experiences and high standards, and a progressive curriculum,鈥 Animation Career Review said.
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