RIT student wins national gold ADDY Award

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One of the layouts in a lookbook created by RIT graphic design student Andrea Hickey. Hickey won a National ADDY Award from the American Advertising Federation. Bryan Edwards, a fourth-year advertising photography major shot all the photography for the lookbook.

Some ill-fated fashionistas featured in a series of crime scenes struck gold at the National American Advertising Federation ADDY Awards.

Andrea Hickey, a fourth-year graphic design student from Rochester Institute of Technology and the creator behind these unusual fashion ad layouts, was one of 25 students to win a student gold ADDY award at the national level. Her entry, “Crime Scene Fashion,” shows models as crime victims wearing a new clothing line.

Hickey, a native of Keene, N.Y., recruited Bryan Edwards, a fourth-year advertising photography major from Tucson, Ariz., to shoot the photographs for the fashion spreads Hickey assembled into a lookbook. A lookbook is a book that clothing stores produce with their latest fashion lines.

“I knew I wanted to do something fashion related that involved art direction and photography,” says Hickey. “You see lookbooks for fashion, but you never see something presented in this way. I was really excited to win a gold at the national level.”

Adds Mike Rovner, creative director at Agency 212 and one of the judges for the Rochester Advertising Federation ADDY Awards: “The execution on this is just outstanding—layers and layers of art direction on top of some really killer photography. And yet, somehow, you’re still featuring the clothing really well. This student took a very difficult assignment and tackled it.”

Hickey advanced to the nationals held in San Diego following two previous rounds, first winning a student silver ADDY at the Rochester Advertising Federation Awards and a $500 scholarship. Hickey then resubmitted her entry at the district level in New York City where she won a gold.

“This is a high honor for a student to receive from the American Advertising Federation and Andrea beat out thousands of students from across the country,” says Joseph Mayernik, president of the Rochester Advertising Federation. “It’s a wonderful accomplishment for her, RIT, the Rochester Advertising Federation and the city of Rochester.”

Hickey graduated from RIT in May and hopes to find a graphic design job in New York City.

About RIT

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, sustainability, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. RIT enrolls 17,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. RIT is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges as well as its Guide to 286 Green Colleges. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011 includes RIT among more than 300 of the country’s most interesting colleges and universities.

About the American Advertising Federation

The American Advertising Federation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., acts as the “Unifying Voice for Advertising.” It is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 40,000 professionals in the advertising industry, with a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country.