With the closing date for applications to this year's DMA Breakthrough Award looming, you may be wondering what has become of last year's winners, Alis H'f Rees and Amy Armstrong-Jeffery....and so did we! That's why we got in contact with them earlier this week to get the low down on what they've been up to over the past year.
In the week following last year's DMA Award's night (where the winners were announced), the pair were inundated with placement offers! A couple of agencies even contacted them out the blue following the awards, going to prove just how fantastic the Breakthrough Award is in connecting talent to the industry. They told us that the awards were 'a great networking opportunity' and that they 'gained so many invaluable contacts that have helped us since with our career'.
The pair decided on a two week placement at Proximity London where they got a taste of what day-to-day agency life is like, which confirmed that the creative industry is where they belong.
Then, it was back to the thrills and spills of university for their final year of hard study at the University of Gloucestershire, which definitely paid dividends as they both graduated with first class honours in Advertising. A very well done from all of us here for that achievement! The pair have since been on placement at Prophecy Unlimited in Bristol with Ian Bates (a GRT Trustee) who they met at the awards before moving onto a placement at Southpaw in Tunbridge Wells which they've just finished.
So now we're up-to-date with what they've been up to over the past year, what does the future hold for creative pair? Well, they've just been accepted into the JOLT Academy which is a new, 80 week diversity scheme which will see them have placements at 10 London agencies which as you can imagine they can't wait to start!
It's fair to say they both see winning the DMA Breakthrough Award as one of the things they're most proud of in their career so far, and would definitely recommend entering. Take a look at their winning entry here; you can also see their other work by visiting their website.
Alis & Amy's story showcases the power that the DMA Breakthrough Award has in connecting aspiring creatives with industry professionals to help get their foot into the industry.
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