Each year TRB’s Outstanding Radio Creative Awards is expanded to a student competition across AUT University and Media Design School’s Advertising Programs.

Previously a hypothetical exercise, in 2022 students have been provided with a live brief to create an audio campaign for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.

Media Design School Programme Leader - Graduate Diploma of Creative Advertising, Kate Humphries says, “TRB have really upped the ante on the Student ORCA brief this year, because for the first time in this competition that the students have a live brief. So, over to you teams- just make sure it’s super engaging, informed by relevant insight, a bloody clever idea and that the writing is superbly crafted. No pressure (apart from the ones that professional creatives face every day in the real world).”

AUT University Advertising & Brand Creativity Lecturer, Jo Page says, “The AUT Advertising and Brand Creativity students are stoked to have the chance to flex their radio-writing muscles and work on a brief for the Mental Health Foundation. It's a deliciously chewy task and the discussions and insights that have popped up in class have taken them into unexpected creative realms. Radio lets you do so much without spending a fortune and they've risen to the challenge admirably. The teaching team (Dan Fastnedge, Jo Page and Matt Halliday) are immensely grateful that the students can enter such a highly regarded competition.”

The winning campaign will air across commercial radio stations later in the year. The winners will also receive a cash prize, ORCA trophy and an invitation to the wider ORCA celebration.

Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand Communications & Marketing Specialist, Renee Fox says, “The Mental Health Foundation is incredibly humbled and excited to be a part of the Student ORCA initiative – we’re looking forward to seeing what the fresh talents can produce”.

Student ORCA winners, along with wider ORCA winners will be announced in August.