Michelle Nelson on the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising

Being the first advertising program at an American university, the Illinois Charles H. Sandage Advertising Department was named after the “father of advertising” himself. According to Michelle Nelson, the Department Head and assistant professor, the beauty of this program and the field of advertising stems from its innovativeness and sense of community. Created as a department in 1959 with Sandage as chairman, advertising could be separated from the journalism department. Students could now learn how to inform consumers and help them make educated decisions on what products to invest in. Today, the program has been significantly ranked in the top five advertising programs among other high-achieving universities, such as the University of Texas and Michigan State. Compared to these programs with double the amount of students and faculty, the Sandage department at Illinois is smaller and more collaboration-focused.

When asked about advice she would give to those interested in succeeding in advertising, Nelson discussed the importance of “pop culture… and being aware of what is occurring in the world.” She notes how advertising is a highly “niche” industry in the sense that “one has the freedom to pursue a particular ad agency existing with nonprofits or social media companies”. Marketing campaigns for Facebook or Google are respectable choices but do not limit the creative and unique endeavors of other smaller or lesser-known companies. Along this subject, there is a common assumption of how some people assume the ad industry to be “superficial and overworked.” Nelson admitted that this is a valid concern and that employees tend to successfully advocate for a healthy working environment nonetheless. She also praises “opportunities sought at smaller organizations that may not be name brand agencies”. Additionally, “if an ad agency does not represent morals and is not socially conscious, do not be afraid to seek out better agencies.”

With so much variety in the field and growing opportunities in the major at Illinois, including a “three plus two” program with China and Indonesia, Nelson encourages current or prospective students to keep their options open. She states, “it’s ideal to have a plan but still explore and take a class you might never get to learn about again”. Finally, she adds that soft skills and people skills are “important”, such as being a key listener, giving presentations, and writing memos.