FORT WAYNE — Students in grades 4 through 12 who live in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio were invited to participate in the 2018 Fort Wayne Newspapers Design an Ad contest.

Design an Ad is a great program that links Fort Wayne area students with the business world. These hand-drawn student ads are chosen from each participating business. From those ads, winners are chosen by local advertising professionals in three categories: grades 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12. Winners at each level will be awarded prizes, and winning ads will be published in the May 29 edition of The Journal Gazette.

The Design an Ad program allows students to:

• learn more about the many businesses that make up our community
• create an ad and possibly see it published
• exercise creative and design skills with an eye towards completion, following directions and project completion

Over 2,000 students from 30 schools challenged themselves by creating ads designed to sell today’s top products and services.

33 Whitko High School art students received “advertisers choice” finalists in the high school level (WHS received all but one of the total 34 business ads.) 24 of these students were picked for honorable mention, first place of the individual business awards. To top it off, five Whitko High School art students received best overall out of the possible six spots. Whitko High School art teacher Daniel Malicki is proud of his students’ success and their pursuit for excellence.

Advertiser’s Choice awards

Advertising professionals chose their favorite hand-drawn ads (one per age category) and these will publish in a special feature in May 2018. (33 out of 34 total awards)

• Kaylee Gaff
• Myra Buckles
• Patrick Bills
• Johnny Couch
• Grace Rochon
• Sidney Overmeyer
• Devin Blaine
• Abigail Sanger
• Jaylenne Greer
• Bastian Dohrmann
• Abby Arter
• Victoria Steinke
• Haley Lysaght
• Savannah Carnegie
• Julia Seifert
• Kiara Fugett
• Abigail Martin
• Ritchelle Steiglitz
• Hailee Bennett
• Derek Stouder
• Jordan Courter
• Adrienne Auginbaugh
• Livia Rose
• Ezra Miller
• Jacqueline Werstler
• Kayce Sims
• Jadin Parrett
• Celeste Logan
• Ella Danner
• Macy Clutter
• Charlotte Cripe
• Dreama Doggendorf
• Reannon Hopkins

Honorable Mentions

The first place advertisement, one per advertiser, was determined by advertising professionals from among the Advertiser’s Choice Awards. This was judged with the top ad from each grade level, or best of three. These students were awarded with an art kit and their ad will be used for the business. (23 out of 34 total)

• Kaylee Gaff
• Jadin Parrett
• Jordan Courter
• Macy Clutter
• Devin Blaine
• Abigail Martin
• Ritchelle Steiglitz
• Victoria Steinke
• Ella Danner
• Sidney Overmeyer
• Kiara Fugett
• Jacqueline Werstler
• Myra Buckles
• Derek Stouder
• Savannah Carnegie
• Julia Seifert
• Dreama Doggendorf
• Reannon Hopkins
• Hailee Bennett
• Celeste Logan
• Adrienne Auginbaugh
• Livia Rose
• Abigail Sanger
• Jaylenne Greer

Overall Contest Winners

Determined by advertising professionals, best overall ads. 1st, 2nd, 3rd per age category. Computer prizes awarded. (five out of six top places)

7th to 9th grade

Third place: Hailee Bennett (iPad)

Second place: Kaylee Gaff (Samsung Galaxy tablet)

Kaylee Gaff placed second for her Marathon ad, and Hailee Bennett placed third for her Subaru ad.

10th to 12th grade

Third place: Livia Rose (iPad)

Second place: Jacqueline Werstler (Samsung Galaxy tablet)

First place: Dreama Doggendorf (iPad Pro)