When Jill Tiongco put a photo of Listerine Pocketpaks breath strips on a cup of coffee, she did not think it would bring her any recognition.

“I was surprised that I won,” said Tiongco, senior in Communications. “I was hoping to win an award but was really surprised that I won two.”

The American Advertising Federation of Central Illinois presented Addy awards to both students and professional advertisers on Feb. 29 in Springfield, Ill. Tiongco and four other University students received awards.

The federation annually reviews more than 60,000 entries nationally and awards gold and silver winners.

Ryan Cwiklinski and Peter Meersman, juniors in Communications, and Laura Knight and Sara Volpe, seniors in Communications, each won a silver Addy for advertisements they produced. Tiongco won two silver Addys.

The awards were judged on professional standards, said Peter Sheldon, lecturer in Advertising and teacher of the five students who won Addys.

He said the criteria that the judges look for are strong creative concepts, professionally executed advertisements, strategically smart layouts and unusual use of media.

The winners of the awards all submitted work produced in Sheldon’s advanced creative concepts course.

“I urged my students to enter their work,” Sheldon said. “Everyone in the class submitted at least one ad.”

University students have won awards in the past, Sheldon said. Last year students won five awards: four silver Addys and one gold.

The American Advertising Federation called the awards “the world’s largest advertising competition and the only creative awards program administered by the advertising industry for the industry,” according to a press release from the organization.

Students submitting work for the contest not only faced other students from the Central Illinois division, but also contended against advertising agencies and clients in the industry, Sheldon said.

The winners credit their success in the contest to Sheldon’s class.

“The class is awesome,” Volpe said. “You get feedback from everyone. Everyone is so honest.”

The students won awards in numerous categories including magazine campaign, point of purchase, out-of-home and non-traditional advertising.

“Anyone can do an ad,” Sheldon said.

“The problem is people forget 95 percent of the ads after they see them.”

In the non-traditional category, Tiongco came up with the idea to put a photo of Listerine Pocketpaks breath strips on cups of coffee, cigarette packs and other products that may cause bad breath.

Sheldon said an advertising award on a student’s resume will help him or her get a foot in the door at an advertising agency, which may influence an agency to look at more of the student’s work.

“Our students are creating very innovative work,” Sheldon said. “It is cool to see the future of advertising.”