The BYU AdLab is an American advertising agency housed within the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Founded by Jeff Sheets and Doug McKinlay, it is one of only a few university-sponsored advertising agencies in the world.[1] The AdLab exists as a student run, professionally mentored ad agency, bridging the gap between student and professional work.
The BYU AdLab is the only student agency to win a Professional One Show Pencil and is the only student agency of record for The Ad Council, producing over 40 national public service campaigns.[2] The program has won hundreds of awards and was recognized as the One Show’s School of the Year in 2021 and 2024.[3]
Founded in 2003, the BYU AdLab first gained prominence with a campaign for the Office of the National Drug Control Policy portraying pictures of teenagers who made the choice themselves to say no to drugs.[4][5] Jeff Sheets and Doug McKinlay realized that students didn't need fake assignments, but that work in the real world would be even more effective.[6] “If we want to produce the best ad graduates in the nation, we have to provide the best educational experience in the nation.”[7] Since them the AdLab has collaborated with dozens of advertising agencies nationwide to produce numerous national clients, including Airbnb, Gatorade, Old Spice, Nike, Taco Bell, Volkswagen, Burger King, L'Oreal, EA Sports, the UNICEF Tap Project, Doritos, Haagen Dazs, Holiday Inn, Nestle, Ford, Verizon, General Mills, Taco Bell, Levi's, Spotify, Amazon, and more.[8][9][10]
As a volunteer agency with the Ad Council, the AdLab has produced projects for the Library of Congress, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Coalition for Healthy Children, the American Cancer Society, and the United States Forest Service.[11][12]
In 2011, the BYU AdLab became the first student-run ad agency to win a professional Pencil from the One Show.[13] The program partnered with ad agency McCann Erickson to create a music video for Kyle Andrews, which received a Bronze Pencil in the music category. The music video featured an attempt at setting a Guinness World Record for the world's largest water balloon fight with 3927 participants and 120,021 water balloons.[14]
The AdLab receives no funding from BYU, but generates all money from client projects. BYU Adlab graduates have gone on to work for notable ad agencies across the country, including Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, McCann Erickson, BBDO, Deutsch LA, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Innocean, and more.[15][16][17] AdLab alumni have gone on to create notable ad campaigns including Allstate's "Mayhem", Apple's "Welcome Home," Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Can Smell Like," and Gatorade's "Be Like Mike" remix.[18] Notable alumni who have had a significant impact in the advertising industry include Brent Anderson, Matt Miller, and Pierce Thiot.[19]
The BYU AdLab has collected numerous awards and press mentions since being established.[20]
The BYU AdLab has a long history of students being recognized as Most Promising Multicultural Students by the American Advertising Federation. Since 2019, 25 program graduates have received this recognition.
| AAF Most Promising Multicultural Student Award Winners | |
|---|---|
| Class of 2019 | Erin Gazdik, Jessica Nugent, Lorien Pereyra, Pablo Perez[43] |
| Class of 2020 | Enoch Lui, Ashley Poelman[44] |
| Class of 2021 | Kofi Aidoo, Rebekah Baker, Evelyn Harper, Haliamai Kealoha, Lillian Maero, Joseph Nugent, Donna Wilson[45] |
| Class of 2022 | Madison Hill, Andrew Rhee[46] |
| Class of 2023 | Brianna Aguilar, John Starkweather, Christopher Mercado, Bri Lucero[47] |
| Class of 2024 | Gabriel Bori, Eli Wright[48] |
| Class of 2025 | Joel Garcia, Ariela Hernandez, Jeremy Lewis, Abish Lopez[49] |
