RENO — An advertising campaign for State Farm Insurance earned first place for journalism and marketing students at the Regional Student Advertising Competition in San Jose, Calif., Saturday. The regional award secures a slot for the 27-member team to compete for the coveted national title in Orlando, Fla., in June.

The American Advertising Federation sponsors regional competitions annually across the United States requiring students to research a product and its competition and devise an integrated communications campaign for a national client. Each student team “pitches” its campaign to a panel of judges, comprised of advertising professionals. Then, the regional champs and one wildcard advance to the nationals.

This year’s client, State Farm Insurance, challenged student teams to change perceptions about automobile and renter’s insurance among young adults.

“We received a difficult problem State Farm wants to solve because competition for market share is intense," said Bob Felten, assistant professor of advertising and public relations and the team’s faculty adviser. "Everything is important and students must bring their best effort throughout the preparation process. Their win underscores that quality thinking, dedication and hard work lead to success in a discipline that we teach.”

The students will offer their only public presentation of the winning entry at an A2N2 luncheon meeting in Harrah’s convention center, May 4. For more information, visit www.a2n2.com or http://journalism.unr.edu.