Three innovative campaigns by School of Communication students earned a coveted spot in the Communications Arts Advertising Annual, showcasing the creativity, insight, and strategy behind the school’s top-tier advertising program.

Artwork from the Stimuless advertising campaign created by Sara Kelly (art director) and Wesley Lucas (designer).

By Barbara Gutierrez and Karina Valdes
10-2-2025
This story originally appeared in News@TheU.

Three projects created by students from the University of Miami School of Communication have been chosen for publication in the 2025 Communication Arts Advertising Annual, one of the most prestigious showcases in the field.

Communication Arts magazine, a professional journal for creativity in visual communications, announced the finalists of its 66th annual advertising competition, which drew 1,253 entries. From those, just 117 projects were selected by a jury of creative professionals.

The selected University of Miami projects include Vaseline: Got it from Momma by Miranda Brennan (copywriter), Vinny Palmieri (art director), and MacKenzie Dands (graphic designer); Stimuless by Sara Kelly (art director) and Wesley Lucas (designer); and Turn Up the Heinz by Lucia Moscarella (art director) and Gabriel Viaud (copywriter).

Sarai Nuñez, assistant professor of practice and AdGroup advisor, said the recognition reflects the program’s growth and reputation.

“Over the past 13 years, we’ve grown into one of the most competitive creative advertising programs in the country,” Nuñez said. “What all these projects have in common is innovative thinking grounded in strong strategy and a spark of brilliant insight. That’s what sets our program apart.”

For the first project, Vaseline: Got it from Momma, the creative challenge was to make the brand resonate with a younger audience. “The brief was to make Vaseline ‘cool’ again,” said Brennan, who graduated last year and is now working as a graphic designer at Sam Edelman. “We wanted to take the truth—that most people find out about Vaseline from their mom—and add a twist to it.”

She credited classes such as STC 434 Advertising Campaigns for helping her think about campaigns as both bold and technically precise.

“Advertising is meant for out-there and ‘crazy’ thinking—but in a technical way. I truly thank professors William Hughes and Meryl Blau for seeing the potential in my ideas and pushing them to a higher level.”

The second project, Stimuless—designed for Swiss performance brand On—began with a powerful insight. Kelly and Lucas realized that athletes with autism or sensory processing disorder often struggle with exercise because most activewear creates uncomfortable stimuli such as seams or tags. Their solution was to position On’s distraction-free apparel as an ally to these athletes.

“Through website activations, social outreach, and out-of-home placements, we built a campaign that allowed people to sort apparel based on sensory preferences,” Lucas explained. “The goal was to help more people experience the highs of working out [feelings] they may not have been able to feel before.”

Kelly, who graduated in May and is now an associate art director at VML New York, said her classes prepared her to execute an award-winning campaign.

“The School of Communication taught me not only technical design skills, but also how to tell a story effectively. Professor Blau’s portfolio class gave me the structure and guidance to refine this project while it was coming to life.”

Lucas, now a senior majoring in creative advertising and minoring in architecture and arts, added that working with Kelly “set the bar” for his final year. “It was such an honor to work on an award-winning project with her—it’s the best feeling to see our work exist in the world.”

Kelly also celebrated the teamwork and said that “working with Wes on this project was an amazing experience.”

“We went through countless ideas before landing on Stimuless. Getting to collaborate and create something we’re both truly proud of has been incredibly rewarding.”

And for the Turn Up the Heinz project, Moscarella and Viaud,—who both graduated in May—created a campaign that positioned chefs and food influencers on social media, showcasing the many ways Heinz Jalapeño Ketchup can be used to spice up breakfast. Along with social media, the campaign included plans for a pop-up restaurant experience and online breakfast recipes incorporating the spiced tomato ketchup.

As Nuñez noted, these wins are more than portfolio highlights—they represent the culmination of years of investment in building a nationally recognized program. “Every award we win is a testament to the incredible talent our students and faculty have cultivated over the years,” she said.