LASU Emerges as Second Runner-up in ARCON National Pitch Competition

By Temiloluwa Adegboyegun

Lagos State University (LASU) emerged as the second runner-up in the creative pitch competition organised by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) on Thursday, 27th June, 2024.

The university was represented by nine students from the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, including Daniel Nworie, Victoria Olanrewaju, Temiloluwa Adegboyegun, Ayomide Olubunmi, Hassan Abdulraheem, Olaseni Larinde, Banks Mustapha, Bolaji Olasehinde, and Ayooluwa Oladiran to develop a behavioral change creative campaign.

The pitch competition was a major highlight of the Advertising Industry Colloquium 2.0, themed “Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Advertising Education and Professional Excellence in Nigeria.” The event brought together a plethora of dignitaries who delivered speeches and encouraged the younger generation, highlighting the diverse opportunities that emerging technologies offer for sustainable advertising in Nigeria.

The competition featured six universities that advanced from a virtual qualifying round held in May 2024, where schools across Nigeria delivered campaign pitches urging Nigerian youths not to emigrate but to stay and contribute to the betterment of the country. The participating institutions included Covenant University, Ebonyi State University, Federal University of Kashere, Lagos State University (LASU), Rivers State University, and the University of Ilorin.

The final competition tasked students with developing feasible campaign plans to combat drug abuse and promote positive mindsets among Nigerian youth. Each team had fifteen minutes to present their campaign ideas, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.

In the end, the Director-General of ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, awarded cash prizes to all six schools. The fourth, fifth, and sixth positions received #250,000 each, LASU won #500,000, the University of Ilorin finished in second place and won #750,000 while Covenant University claimed the top spot, bagging #1,000,000.