Tales from Sixty Weeks and Beyond

Love and Business at Brandcenter

Hard work + talent + engaging the network properly = limitless opportunity.

Making ads is the least of what you gain from the degree.

No one is here because they are great.

“I was working odds and ends for a small agency when I discovered the Brandcenter.”

The Brandcenter is the ultimate sandbox.

The people you’ll meet are what make Brandcenter worth it.

An endless supporting network of mentors

“How does an English major turned lawyer end up at the VCU Brandcenter?”

“I always saw art as nothing more than a hobby”

“I immersed myself in the world of Murderinos…”

“We saw a need to establish a community where students felt safe to have tough conversations.”

“The best decision I’ve made in my life so far”

“Your undergraduate major does not define you”

“Oh, so Brandcenter is hard hard?”

“The Strategy track gave me a Master’s in people watching”

Learning How to Surf: Advice from a Non-Surfer

“The most exciting part was sharing my work with a packed house at MAGFest”

“This past year will always be the one that set my career in motion.”

“I saw creation and leadership as separate functions”

“This side project was a chance for me to refine my product design skills…”

“We had 24 hours. “

“Leave them with something to remember you by.”

“What do you want people to think when they engage with your product?”

“MYTH: You cannot work while at Brandcenter. “

“My first question was: how am I going to pay for this?”

“It was here I learned to ask: what is the truth about the brand?”

“I first heard about the VCU Brandcenter when I was a sophomore at JMU.”

 “It’s gonna be a tough two years.”

“I think the Brandcenter experience is like a roller coaster…”

“I feel like I’m going to be stuck on a project 3 years from now and something Fenske said will suddenly click in my head.”

“I got to work on a Super Bowl spot my first year in the industry.”

“Professor Fenske calls it “building steel,” and it’s the mark of a Brandcenter student.”

“I thought the hard part was getting accepted.”

“My husband and I had four weeks to move 2 dogs, 2 kids, and a swing set from Harrisonburg to Richmond.”

“Everyone agreed about setting high standards from the start.”

“Looking back, I’m glad I made the decision to go to grad school after undergrad.”

“The VCU Brandcenter culture promotes helping each other.”

“I knew it was a huge gamble- 2 years full-time, student loans, and fear of missing out on other opportunities that I wouldn’t be pursuing for that time.”

“Today’s schedule at @VCU_Brandcenter 1. Tap dance for Snapchat 2. Research candy bars 3. Research dog bars 4. Dental hygiene focus group.”

“I have found that even knowing what questions to ask will give you a head start in everything.”

“Although born on different edges of the world, we quickly became family when we met at that boot camp.”

“Getting to be a part of that experience made me curious about the mysterious Brandcenter.”

“The Brandcenter catapults you into the middle of the galaxy with nothing but an oxygen tank and 99 other clueless space cadets.”

“Initially I had to adjust to the creative focus of the program; it is a far cry from the rigid and systematized nature of financial commodities trading.”

“I need to get better, I scribbled. “

“The VCU Brandcenter doesn’t just make exceptions for ‘non-traditional’ applicants like myself, it actively pursues them.”

“All first year students, including myself, were invited by the 2nd years to a small shindig in the final days before the start of school.”

“I never planned to go to grad school, yet fate firmly decided otherwise.”

“The VCU Brandcenter is more than just advertising.”