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A Fine Arts student from the American University in Dubai (AUD) has been awarded the regional top spot in this year’s International Advertising Association (IAA) –Dentsu Global Student Poster competition.

Sally Alzaza, a final year Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Visual Communication student, was named design winner for the Middle East/Africa region, by a judging line up of international industry experts.

In recognition of the critical impact of environmental issues, this year’s competition theme was biodiversity. The brief asked students to design a poster to communicate the message of the need to change the population’s lifestyle and consumption habits if we are to stop the destruction of our ecosystems and keep the planet alive.

Middle East winner Sally’s interpretation was an incomplete puzzle image of the globe. Entitled ‘The Whole Picture’ the work represents the premise that all species are interdependent and each has a role in the survival of the other; in the same way that the pieces of a puzzle form a complete picture. “This is why I thought of a puzzle; a puzzle with a missing piece is never complete,” explained Sally. “With more and more missing pieces, the image becomes unclear. In order to save the whole image - the Earth, we should protect its diverse species.

“I think of this project as a global conversation among the young creatives of the world. We have always been encouraged by our professors to participate in events that allow us to express ourselves. I am proud to represent my university, The American University in Dubai, in this competition. I thank all those who guided me,” concluded Sally.

Sally’s key mentor on the project was Assistant Professor of Graphic design at AUD, Ms. Dina Faour, who explained that developing a broader sense of responsibility amongst students is high on the list of priorities for the University. “Biodiversity is a critical issue, affecting our communities worldwide. It is of no surprise therefore, that, yet again, one of our students has excelled in expressing her concerns and her commitment to such a serious cause,” said Ms Faour.

Kamal Dimachkie, Chairman of the IAA UAE Chapter Events and Talent Committee explained that a key role of the Association is to nurture and reward creative talent and that it is not only rewarding that the competition’s Middle East winner was based in the UAE, but also indicative of the levels of talent in the country. “It’s encouraging to see such high levels of participation in this year’s competition and to see a winner from the UAE. We are increasingly seeing creative work from students, young professionals and seasoned executives from the region, recognized and awarded at international festivals. It demonstrates that collectively, we are raising the bar of the industry year on year,” said Dimachkie.

Some 527 entries from 26 countries were received from students across the globe, with the winning designs from Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle/East/Africa and North America advancing to the final judging which decided the World Champion.

The overall winner, Dusan Simic, from The University of Arts Belgrade, Serbia, will present her winning entry at a ceremony at the United Nations in July and will receive her award from Kiyo Akasaka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

All regional winners will receive a trophy and the winning work has been showcased at the 2010 ACT Responsible Expo in Cannes. The ACT Expo showcased work of social and environmental campaigns.

The 2nd IAA-Dentsu Global Student Poster Competition was organized by the IAA, sponsored by Dentsu Inc., with the technical support of AdForum.com.

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