Students Pitch Campaigns to International advertising agency

Level 3 Graphic and Creative Design students from Stafford College showcased their creativity last week, pitching innovative campaigns to representatives from global advertising agency VCCP and Alton Towers Marketing Director, Larry Roles. Their challenge was to design a compelling campaign to inspire the residents of London to visit the iconic theme park in Spring 2025.

The brief, designed by VCCP as part of their fourth annual Inter-City Challenge, brought together colleges from across Staffordshire. Six teams rose to the occasion to represent Stafford College—four composed of BTEC Graphic and Creative Design students and two of A Level learners. They competed alongside groups from Stoke-on-Trent College and Stoke-on-Trent 6th Form, all competing for a place in the Grand Final.

Working in teams, students from each campus developed campaign packages and presented their ideas to industry professionals, with ideas ranging from hiring Paddington Bear as brand ambassador to projecting the best loved rollercoasters on to some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.

Although an overall winning team from each campus was chosen, the judges were unanimously impressed by the exceptional quality of all presentations. The creative concepts, strategic thinking, and hard work of runners-up were all highly commended.

Students Ellie Boughton, Nancy Minshall, Ethan Logue, and Theo Davies formed the winning team with their creative campaign aimed at London mums, inspiring families to bond and create lasting memories together at Alton Towers.

Dave Holcroft, Curriculum Leader in Graphic Design at NSCG Stafford College, said: “Partnering with VCCP on a real-world advertising brief is an invaluable experience for our students. Industry professionals provided vital insights into roles and processes, and once again, the feedback has been outstanding for everyone involved.”

The winning team from each campus will now prepare for the grand finale next year, where they will compete for the top prize.