UNI competes in 2026 AAF District 9 National Student Advertising Competition

On Friday, April 17, 2026, a team of advertising students from the University of Northern Iowa competed in the AAF District 9 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) in Kansas City, MO.

The NFL, the 2026 sponsoring client, tasked teams across the country with creating a “bold, emotionally resonant umbrella creative campaign that unifies and elevates the NFL’s work to positively impact youth health & wellness – physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

For many, this was the first time that they had worked on an advertising campaign to this scale. This year’s team consisted of 33 UNI students across research, accounts and strategy, media, and creative departments, with research beginning in the fall to better understand how the target audience of casual fans (youth and parent-skewing) currently view the NFL and its initiatives. 

Once research was complete, the team’s focus shifted to the creative ideation phase. The creative team collaborated to eventually come up with the big idea of the campaign: ‘Make Your Play’. With the creative direction set, the team began working on the rest of the campaign, including a media strategy and many other creative elements. 

After months of hard work, late nights in the library and lots of caffeine, the team delivered its 20-minute pitch to a panel of five advertising professionals at the District 9 NSAC competition in Kansas City, MO. 

From stressful deadlines to the many hours spent collaborating, the team grew closer together throughout the spring semester. 

Lee Beauchamp, the Creative Director of the 2026 NSAC team and former president of AAF, credits NSAC for the opportunities they have gained and the memories they have made.

“NSAC has been a pivotal moment of my college career – it has opened the door to many career avenues and incredible opportunities. It has been the most challenging work yet the most gratifying. I have grown and learned so much from my time. NSAC gave me wonderful friendships and fond memories.”

The work the team produced is part of the advanced course offered at UNI, Advertising Campaign Development (MKTG 4150), and is facilitated by Associate Professor of Practice in Marketing and Entrepreneurship Emma Wilson.

Wilson is also the faculty advisor for the AAF chapter at UNI. In recapping the 2026 UNI NSAC team, Wilson said “Our talented AAF students developed a compelling campaign to raise awareness about the NFL’s youth health and wellness programs – and to inspire young people to get involved while showing them the character-building benefits that come with the game of football.”

A list of the 2026 team members and their roles in the 2026 NFL agency team: