THE WOODLANDS, Texas- D. Hilton Associates recently opened its doors to junior and senior marketing students from Phillis Wheatley High School in Houston to help them hone their marketing skills.

Teaming up with its client PrimeWay Federal Credit Union, the students' visit was part of a career exploration project. Students were challenged to help create advertisements connected with the credit union's S.T.A.R. (Service & Technology Accessed Remotely) Mobile Branch service, which is being used in the student branch pilot program.

During the visit, members of DHA's Marketing and Advertising group provided students with an overview of advertising agency operations.

“We outlined the various roles of advertising agency job descriptions and the educational requirements of each of these roles,” said Alison Madrey, vice president of marketing for DHA. “In addition, we covered the basics of print ad creation and included a demonstration of how a headline and image can work together to create a memorable product for clients and the target market.”

Working together in groups on an actual advertisement, students were busy selecting an image and brainstorming headlines that would work effectively with it. These elements were then inserted into a basic advertisement for the credit union's Youth Checking product, which is designed to meet the needs of young adult members.

“The students were excited to collaborate with professionals in developing materials for use within the high school to promote their student branch. The exercise went beyond merely demonstrating the functions of an advertising agency, it spurred the students creatively and left them energized with a sense of pride in their work,” said PrimeWay FCU Vice President of Marketing Michelle Oshinski.