More than 100 colleges and universities are expected to take on a real-world marketing challenge for Rocket Mortgage as part of the National Student Advertising Competition.
The American Advertising Federation has named Rocket Mortgage the client partner and presenting sponsor for the 2026-27 National Student Advertising Competition.
For more than 50 years, the AAF’s NSAC has allowed college students to develop a full advertising and marketing campaign in response to a real client brief. Previous partners have included AT&T, Coca-Cola, the NFL, Pizza Hut, Tide and Toyota.
More than 100 colleges and universities are expected to participate this year, with student teams advancing through district and semifinal rounds before eight finalists compete for the national title at AAF’s ADMERICA conference in Anaheim, California, June 3-6, 2027.
“There is no better way to learn how to pitch for new advertising business than by developing a campaign for a real-world, real-client consideration,” said Dawn Reeves, executive vice president, member services and programs at AAF.
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Students will develop the research, strategy, creative work, and media thinking behind a fully integrated campaign before presenting their ideas to judging panels made up of industry professionals, client representatives, and agency partners.
Reeves said Rocket Mortgage will challenge students to create an opportunity that does not currently exist, raising the strategic stakes for this year’s competition.
Each AAF college chapter can form a team, and participating students must be dues-paying chapter members. Teams first compete within one of AAF’s 15 geographic districts, either in person or virtually, before moving on to the semifinal round.
Eight teams will ultimately advance to the national finals.
The University of Oregon won the most recent competition with work developed for the NFL. Texas State University took the title in 2025, while California Berkeley won in 2024.
“Supporting NSAC isn’t charity. It is an investment in the future of the industry and our businesses,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO of Rocket Companies.
Mildenhall said the competition also gives Rocket and Redfin’s integrated marketing and communications teams a direct connection to emerging talent nationwide.
“The depth of student talent across America is extraordinary,” he said, “and we intend to attract a disproportionate share to build their careers at Rocket Companies.”
With Rocket Mortgage stepping in as this year’s client, student teams will now face the same fundamental challenge agencies do every day: take a real business problem, turn it into an idea and sell it.
