KCAD Students Take Home 11 West Michigan ADDY Awards

Students in Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s Graphic Design program achieved top honors at the 2024 West Michigan American Advertising Awards, the region’s biggest stage for advertising design.  The West Michigan chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) awarded a total of 11 ADDY Awards to KCAD students, including 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 6 Bronze, and one of three coveted Judges’ Choice Awards. 

Leading the way was KCAD senior Emilee Holzwarth, who earned a Judges' Choice Award and Bronze Honorable Mention with “Yellowstone Forever Billboard,” a striking outdoor billboard for Yellowstone National Park, and a Gold ADDY for "Mokaya Rebrand," a sophisticated brand identity campaign that highlighted the local artisan chocolate boutique’s reputation for decadent confections.  

The American Advertising Awards recognize and reward creative excellence in advertising at an annual competition that attracts more than 40,000 entries at the local and regional levels. The West Michigan chapter belongs to AAF District 6, which includes clubs from Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.  

Those students who won Gold ADDY Awards will automatically move on to the district level of the competition, while Silver ADDY winners can advance via entry fee.  With a good performance, those competing in districts will have the chance to showcase their designs on the national stage.   

See below to explore the list of all KCAD student winners: 

JUDGE’S CHOICE ADDY AWARD

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Emilee Holzwarth – “Yellowstone Forever Billboard”  
Category: Out of Home & Ambient Media – Outdoor Board 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist 

 

STUDENT GOLD ADDY AWARDS

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Michael Thompson – “Spore Print Press - Zine”  
Category: Sales & Marketing – Magazine Design 
Faculty: Jason Alger 

 

Emilee Holzwarth – “Mokaya Rebrand”  
Category: Cross-Platform – Integrated Brand Identity Campaign 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist and Angela Dow

 

STUDENT SILVER ADDY AWARDS

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Abigail McDiarmid – “Medusa Curly Hair Care Packaging” 
Category: Sales & Marketing – Packaging 
Faculty: Ron Riksen 

 

Abigail McDiarmid – “Medusa Curly Hair Care Illustration”  
Category: Elements of Advertising – Illustration Campaign 
Faculty: Ron Riksen 

 

STUDENT BRONZE ADDY AWARDS

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Emilee Holzwarth – “Yellowstone Forever Billboard”  
Category: Out of Home & Ambient Media – Outdoor Board 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist 

 

 

Abigail McDiarmid – “PetSmart Redesign Campaign”  
Category: Cross-Platform – Integrated Brand Identity Campaign 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist 

 

Kendra Mobley – “Cattle Cruisers Windstar Radio Ad” 
Category: Film, Video & Sound – Audio/Radio Advertising 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist

 

Michael Thompson – “Sifting Through Tundra”  
Category: Elements of Advertising – Still Photography, Single 
Faculty: Jason Alger 

 

 

Michael Thompson – “Two Weeks Above the Arctic Circle”  
Category: Elements of Advertising – Still Photography, Campaign 
Faculty: Jason Alger 

 

Alexandra Seidel – “Heart of the Reef”  
Category: Cross-Platform – Integrated Brand Identity Campaign 
Faculty: Joan Sechrist and Jason Alger