Organization

LOCAL INFLUENCE WITH A NATIONAL PRESENCE

The American Advertising Federation (AAF), headquartered in Washington, D.C., acts as the “Unifying Voice for Advertising.” The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the country. Through its 226 college chapters, the AAF provides 8,000 advertising students with real-world case studies and recruitment connections to corporate America. The AAF also has nearly 100 blue-chip corporate members that are advertisers, agencies and media companies, comprising the nation’s leading brands and corporations.

The mission of the AAF is to protect and promotes the well-being of advertising. We accomplish this through a unique, nationally coordinated grassroots network of advertisers, agencies, media companies, local advertising clubs and college chapters.

The Ad 2 Division of the American Advertising Federation is comprised of a nationwide network of clubs whose members are employed, or interested in, advertising or public relations and are 32 years of age or younger. Ad 2 creates advertising’s future leaders through educational, leadership development and networking programs. Ad 2 currently has over 1,200 members in 22 clubs across the country.

Since 1947, Ad 2 has been a group of people helping people. In personal and professional growth, in bettering our communities, Ad 2 is a group of young, passionate, forward thinking and forward moving people making a difference. We are active, die hard advertising addicts, blazing our way to a brighter tomorrow with style and good company.

The Ad 2 commitment to public service is one of the qualities that set Ad 2 apart from other advertising-related organizations. Each year local chapters select a client, research the client’s needs and author a complete marketing plan. Then, based upon that information Ad 2 members create television, radio, print, outdoor and interactive advertising elements. Some campaigns also include logo design, production of collateral materials and public relations initiatives.

These campaigns are not schoolwork. They are not theoretical. They are real, and they make a real difference in local communities. Scores of non-profit organizations point to the assistance they received from a local Ad 2 chapter as the key to their development and success.

Each year, Ad 2 chapters compete in a Public Service Advertising Competition, pitting the local campaigns against one another. Participating clubs submit a written report about their campaign, followed by an oral presentation at the AAF National Conference. A select panel of judges evaluates the campaigns and selects the best among that year’s work.

The Ad 2 Public Service Competition has been the signature of the organization. With young ad pros reaching out to touch the lives of communities that they represent, through building advertising campaigns and endorsing community service organizations, Ad 2′s history is a very rich one. For all the tomorrows we have brightened and all the organizations we have bettered, it is a great tribute to those who have provided public service before us, that Ad 2 campaigns will continue.