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For the past five years, Launch has awarded $1,000 scholarships to the top design and art direction portfolios at University of North Texas’ College of Art and Design. Based on a portfolio review, these scholarships are given to the design and art direction majors whom Launch representatives and UNT faculty recognize as having achieved an outstanding body of creative work. David Wilgus, agency principal and creative director, was on hand for the judging and to meet the winning students.
This year Aaron Kotara (left) was the winner of the 2011 Launch Agency award in Art Direction and Ashley Ayer (right) was the winner of the Graphic Design award. Eric Ligon (center) is the Associate Dean at the College of Visual Art and Design.
Kotara, Ligon and Ayer at UNT
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Art Director Madison McDaniel rounds out the Launch summer intern team (Copywriter, Account Service, and AD) as her student portfolio and design skills landed her the art director internship. Madison joins us from UNT’s Communication Design program where she also earned this year’s Launch Outstanding Achievement Scholarship for Art Direction. See for yourself how good she is on her portfolio site.
We gave Madison a break from computer layouts just long enough to ask some telling questions:
![Madison 1[5]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4700473992_2e6dbdceef.jpg)
Q: Are you an ocean
or lake person?
A: Ocean.
Q: Pen or pencil?
A: Pen.
Q: Favorite video game?
A: Mario Kart.
Q: Which platform?
A: N64.
Q: Favorite color?
A: Black.
When asked what her favorite flower was, Madison couldn’t think of one. (Perhaps this has something to do with her favorite color. After all, we’ve never seen a black flower.)
Q: Are you on Twitter?
A: Yes. @/_sealion.
Q: So you like sea lions?
A: It’s a Fiest song . . .
Q: So you like Fiest?
A: Yes.
Q: What do you want to accomplish at Launch?
A: I’d really like to go on a photo shoot, but I mostly want to immerse myself in the agency environment.
Well, good news for this small town (Brock, Texas), Johnny Cash-loving girl turned art director: she’ll become more immersed in agency life than she ever could have imagined. Welcome aboard, Madison!
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Welcome to our newest Art Director, Joanna Rodriguez. A native Texan, Joanna hails from Houston and has been in Dallas for the past six years. Joanna graduated from the University of North Texas in May of ‘09 with a Bachelor’s in Communication Design, making her the 4th UNT alum at Launch.
After interning at two Dallas Agencies, Dieste and IMC2, Joanna joined Launch for her first full-time job as an art director. Joanna is fluent in Spanish and “semi-fluent” in French. “I studied French for 12 years, so you’d think I’d be able to speak it. That’s not the case.” Joanna said.
The Mac-loving, cat-hating, Whataburger-craving, 23 year old is the oldest of three kids. (She has one sister and one brother.) She currently lives with her brother stating it has its “ups and downs.”
Q&A with Joanna Rodriguez
Q: Favorite Blog
A: It’s kinda nerdy but, the UNT Communication Design blog
Q: New stuff on your iPod playlist
A: Also kinda nerdy but, Abba
Q: Best Movie
A: Ever? Casablanca; recently, Up in the Air with George Clooney
Finally, when asked how she was handling the crazy work atmosphere at Launch she laughed and said, “It gets better every day!”
¡Bienvenidos a Launch, Joanna!
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Each year, to inspire and reward creative excellence at the University of North Texas’ College of Visual Arts & Design, Launch Agency awards two student scholarships. After the UNT faculty narrowed the field to eight outstanding juniors, Launch’s very own UNT alumni — David Wilgus (Launch Principal, Creative Director) and Reuben Miller (Creative Service) — carefully reviewed the portfolios and selected this year’s winners.
“This is the third year of our involvement,” informed Wilgus. “UNT has a great program. We are excited to recognize and assist some of the terrific students in Visual Arts & Design.”
Graphic design student, Daniel Fuhrer, and Jason Perez, an art direction student, will each receive $1,000 scholarships. Both exhibited strong conceptual thinking and brought their ideas to life with impressive execution.
Check out some of Daniel’s winning portfolio.
http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649
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Launch Agency Principal Diane Seimetz receives prestigious Woman of Excellence Award by National Association of Professional and Executive Women.
In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the advertising industry, the National Association of Professional and Executive Women has recognized Dallas ad veteran Diane Seimetz with the Woman of Excellence Award. The Association is dedicated to providing professional resources, education and marketing expertise to executive women nationwide, and extends this honor to those who display exceptional leadership skills in their field. Seimetz, along with partners David Wilgus and Michael Boone, is principal of LAUNCH, a boutique brand development, marketing and advertising agency in Dallas, Texas. The company specializes in consumer brand launches and relaunches, counting such companies as online dating giant Match.com, the Paris Hotel Las Vegas, Hotels.com, the Park Place luxury car dealership group, NYLO Hotels, rent-to-own leader Rent-A-Center, Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse, upscale girls’ salon Sweet and Sassy, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, RadioShack brand PointMobl and others as clients. The agency has been recognized as one of the fastest growing businesses in the region, and has earned a national reputation for strategic and creative excellence. In addition to membership in the American Advertising Federation (AAF), American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), Seimetz is active in her church, local animal shelter, Marketing Board for the University of Northern Texas, Gamma Phi Beta sorority, the DFW Interactive Marketing Association and Women on the Web.
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