Students pursuing听MA Fashion Communication 补苍诲听BA (Hons) Fashion Business and Promotion recently had an exciting opportunity to work on a live brief set by PR agency听 for their client.
The project began with a briefing from Rise at Seven, who gave industry insights into digital PR and how innovative campaigns can boost brand visibility. The agency鈥檚 team later returned as judges for the final presentations, offering valuable industry feedback.
Tasked with devising a digital PR campaign to increase UK media awareness and improve SEO rankings for Shark Beauty鈥檚 hair styling products, students aimed to position Shark Beauty as a standout brand in a competitive market. Their overarching goal was to secure coverage and backlinks in top-tier publications through creative ideas and strategic execution.
To inspire their campaigns, students conducted comprehensive research into the current hair styling market, analysed Google Trends, examined competitors, and studied existing campaigns. This research helped them generate innovative concepts, such as:
- 听听听听听 Pop-up pub styling sessions
- 听听听听听 Spa experiences for pets and their owners
- 听听听听听 How-to guides for iconic Black hairstyles
- 听 听 听 A Father's Day focus on male hairstyles
Students then brought their ideas to life by creating visual mock-ups, taglines, social media activations, landing pages, emails, and press releases.
The final presentations showcased a range of creative campaigns, with students explaining their concepts and execution strategies to representatives from Rise at Seven.
Ash Hopkins, Global VP of Performance Marketing at SharkNinja, said:听
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鈥淓ducating and inspiring the next generation of SEO and marketing professionals is something we鈥檙e deeply passionate about. So, when the opportunity to partner with 天美传媒 came along, we were eager to get involved. The students鈥� creative ideas were outstanding and it was interesting to see the unique ways each of them approached the brief.鈥�
Winning student Jenna Fox said:
鈥淗aving the opportunity to participate in and win the Shark Beauty brief with my听鈥淗air So Good, It鈥檚 Scary!鈥�听campaign has been one of the most rewarding moments in my creative and academic journey. It allowed me to combine smart strategy with cultural relevance and a bold Halloween theme to create a concept that was both fun and impactful.
At the heart of the campaign was a fictional collaboration between Shark and the听Saw听movie franchise, blending beauty with horror in a way that felt unexpected yet perfectly timed. Inspired by real 鈥渉air horror鈥� stories, I turned these common beauty fails听into an interactive game that lived across TikTok and Instagram. Users were invited to share their own hair horror stories, guess which influencer or celebrity had lived through each hair disaster, and explore how the FlexStyle could save the day.
Being given a live industry brief like this taught me how to think commercially, creatively, and under real-world conditions. It pushed me beyond the classroom and into the mindset of a working professional. It taught me that if you're ever offered an opportunity, take it. It鈥檚 a powerful chance to learn and grow.
I had so much fun with this project, but more importantly, I believed in the story I was telling. To not only work on a brief for a boundary-pushing agency like Rise at Seven, but also win it, has been incredibly validating. It鈥檚 a moment I鈥檓 proud of, and one I鈥檒l carry forward with confidence.鈥�