Global Branding may be possible because of the proliferation and speed of communications technologies, but building a global brand begins with the purest form of communication—one single idea shared in one interaction.

“It’s the seed,” says UO Advertising Professor Deborah Morrison.

And when that interaction is between, say, an undergraduate student in Eugene, Oregon and Nils Andersson, executive creative director of Ogilvy & Mather in Beijing, the seeds planted bear fruit for all involved—including the ad industry.

Nils Andersson, the executive creative director of Ogilvy Beijing who is perhaps best known for his work with Motorola , will join Kevin Swanepoel, president of The ONE Club for Art & Copy in NYC, at the School of Journalism and Communication beginning Sunday, October 29 as an Executive-in-Residence.  While there, the two execs will discuss “China and the Internationalization of Ideas” as well as creative strategy and global branding.  They’ll also look at student portfolios and resumes and offer their take on the future and on the massive growth of the advertising industry in China.

They are there as Executives-in-Residence, a program launched at the SOJC six years ago, which brings high-level advertising executives from around the world to UO classrooms for two to three day sessions. Their schedules are as action-packed at the school as they might be at the office:  On Sunday, Swanepoel will arrive in Eugene and give a five-hour seminar on “The New Creative Revolution,” digital creativity, to interested students and faculty, then spend the next thirty six hours teaching classes or visiting with UO faculty.  Andersson’s schedule is similarly packed; his visit also includes public or invited lectures at both the UO campus in Eugene and the school’s George S. Turnbull Center in Portland.   But past EIRs, like Rachel Howald of Young & Rubicam, have described the experience as “incredibly energizing.”

The program was made possible by a gift from Richard Ward, a 1977 UO Business graduate and a thirty-year veteran of the advertising industry, now president and CEO of WestWayne, Inc. in Atlanta.  Ward, who also serves as a member of the School’s Journalism Advancement Council, recently expanded his support of the program in part to further the program’s global impact.

“Ward’s vision is transforming the school,” says Morrison.   “It will be a catalyst for great things—for our program, for the students, and for the industry.”

Past Executives-in-Residence have included Dana Wade, then president of Spike DDB Advertising, Rachel Howald, executive creative director of Young & Rubicam; and Russell Davies of the Open Intelligence Agency.

For more information, contact Zanne Miller, director of communication, (541) 346-2519; zanne@uoregon.edu