Rewind to 27th February 2017

As we walk up the grand steps the noise roars down, exerting immense pressure on our heads. How many of us were there?

‘Us’ meaning the soon-to-be-examined; the fresh faces of the advertising world. An auditory-based guess would have said we were over a thousand waiting to enter the examination hall.

The Foundation Certificate

The marketing communications Foundation Certificate course by the IPA is a treat. Never has learning been so easy. Or fun. Spending hours watching TV ads on YouTube — ranging from crème de la crème to cringe de la cringe — is not only justified but actively encouraged.

But the real insight into Adland (the world of advertising) came from the custom-written case studies provided in the course. From the initial hatching of an idea right through to the evaluation stage. It divulged the ins and outs of effective advertising.

Studying for our Foundation Certificate exam happened very quickly. Suddenly six Wordbirders were standing in front of the examination hall together with 400 other examinees on the 27th of February.

The next two hours passed in focused silence.

Five essays later we’re standing visibly relieved in the once again noisy foyer.

Ten weeks later we’re even more relieved: we’ve passed!

By Anaelle Stenman, fresh-faced Copywriter and Adlander