Ad School Certifies 21 Rising Stars in the Communications Industry

Twenty-one students received certification upon completing the seventh course at the Ad School. They were awarded the Ad School certificate and the «Certificate of Advanced Studies in Creation and Strategic Planning» from HWZ Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Migros was selected as the case study for the final project.

During the briefing, the students were asked to develop a communication strategy for Migros Mobile. The teams, consisting of creatives and strategists, presented their final projects to the Ad School Board of Trustees and representatives from Migros. The students received their certificates at the certificate ceremony on February 26 at the ADC Gallery. In addition, three winning teams were awarded the coveted “Würfel” prizes—this time, two silver and one gold.

«This graduating class was incredibly strong. The students made it really difficult for the School Board and our thesis sponsor, Migros, to select the best thesis. This high level of quality meant that, while we were unable to award a bronze prize, we were able to award two silver prizes instead. But all graduates can be proud of themselves and their achievements. With this pool of up-and-coming talent, we can look to the future of our industry with genuine joy and anticipation,» said School Board President Gordon Nemitz.

The Graduates

Five graduates completed the course with a specialization in Strategy: Samira Ciraci, Deborah Lanz, Ann-Christine Lindner, Philipp Sträuli, and Anina Trachsler. The following students completed the program with a specialization in Creation: Paula Da Weibel, Stéphanie Frey, Raphael Hirt, Josephine Jeanguenin, Jan Kempen, Vanessa Kesselring, Rahel Manser, Ramón Maurer, Gvozden Milosevic, Michelle Müntener, Mehmet Odabas, Jil Pettenhofer, Lukas Schnider, Stephanie Steimer, Marco Weber, and Jona Wetter.

The Award-Winning Theses

The campaign «Migros Mobile. Connects you to your everyday life,» created by Jil Pettenhofer, Gvozden Stan Milosevic, and Anina Trachsler, was awarded a gold prize.

The campaign «Here to Stay» by Josephine Jeanguenin, Raphael Hirt, and Michelle Müntener, as well as the campaign «Switzerland’s Fairest Subscription» by Ann-Christine Lindner, Lukas Schnider, and Jona Wetter, each received a Silver Award.

The next course is scheduled to begin in August 2026. For more information, visit adschool.ch. The Ad School is a commitment by the two leading brand communication associations, Leading Swiss Agencies and ADC Switzerland, to offer the next generation in the communications industry excellent, cutting-edge continuing education.