March 17, 2008: After recently winning 1st place in the Middle East/Africa group for the second year in a row, business major students at The American University in Dubai have won the World Championship of the IAA InterAd Global Advertising Competition. The International Advertising Association (IAA), its client Unilever and sponsor Global Advertising Strategies recently announced the IAA InterAd XII world champions of the 2008 competition, which challenged student teams world-wide to develop innovative, integrated marketing communications plans for promoting Unilever's Axe brand in ethnic multi-cultural markets

InterAd is the IAA's annual student advertising competition which provides hands-on marketing communications experience for undergraduate students from around the world. It is a case-history style project, which gives students a chance to apply their marketing theory in practice and experience real-world marketing environment ¹.

"Los Maestros", the AUD team, which was led by Dr. Ode Amaize, Assistant Professor of Marketing Communications, developed the Missing Link campaign which won them 1st place in the Middle East/Africa group and has now made them World Champions.

Dr. Lance de Masi, AUD's President commented: "Year after year, AUD takes the InterAd honors. This is testimony to the university's unsurpassed excellence in marketing communications education. We simply wouldn't be there without a solid curriculum, a superb faculty and motivated students."

AUD competes Globally
AUD competed with the other regional finalists at the international level. “Los Maestros”, the IAA InterAd XII World Champion team, was selected by senior marketing communications professionals including executives from Unilever and Global Advertising Strategies; the winning team will receive the InterAd World Championship trophy and other prizes including a travel allowance of up to US$7,500 to present the award winning recommendations at the 41st IAA World Congress in Washington, DC, April 7th-9th, 2008.

Click here to view the Missing Link - Presentation