The AAA School of Advertising was established 30 years ago by the Association of Advertising Agencies (AAA) to train young talent into the advertising industry and has been known as the official higher education institution for the South African Advertising Industry ever since. Since then, we have trained thousands of industry professionals.
The AAA adopts a holistic approach to teaching advertising, design and marketing, incorporating the challenges of new technology and media. Our ties to the industry ensure students are given live briefs to work on. Working in agency-simulated teams, allows them to integrate theory with practice and hit the ground running once they graduate.
We’re a creative hub for advertising and marketing talent. We believe in providing more than just knowledge, but skills and practical experience as well. Potential is turned into achievement by encouraging creative exploration, and by realising that innovation is integral to the learning process.
The AAA School of Advertising is the only institution in Africa to be accredited by the IAA (International Advertising Association). Presently, only 43 leading universities, colleges, and professional schools located throughout the world hold IAA course accreditation.
It is the course, not the university, college or tertiary institution that is accredited. Each accredited course is individually assessed and scored through a rigorous, benchmarked IAA Education Council process. This ensures internationally recognised quality of formal content and teaching as required by the global communications industry for its students and future young professionals.
Benefits of IAA Course Accreditation:
- International industry recognition of quality of course content
- Listing of institution and course on IAA Global website
- Exclusive educational resources for classroom use
- Potential interaction with global industry professionals
- The IAA Certificate of Completion awarded to approved graduates
- Profiling of accredited Academic Experts and their areas of relevant research
- Support and promote industry/academic engagement and collaboration
AAA offers quality higher education qualifications that are:
- Accredited by SAQA
- Recorded on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
- We are registered by the DHET as a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI)
Our students’ creative work is rated by Austrian Lürzer’s Archive as one of the best in the world.
Since 2000, our students have consistently been recognised for their creative excellence and strategic ability. Year after year, AAA students deliver impressive performances at both internationally acclaimed and South African industry award ceremonies.
International Awards:
- Our creative students have won 5 Gold and 17 Silver/Bronze international Advertising awards, including CLIO and D&AD awards
- Our Marketing students have won 10 L’Oreal Brandstorm awards, with the winning teams representing SA at the L’Oreal world competition in Paris, France.
South African Industry Awards:
- 31 Gold and 56 Silver and 62 Bronze Loerie awards
- 12 Gold and 4 Silver Pendoring awards
- 3 Gold Assagai awards
- 4 Gold Design Indaba, Goldpack and OHMSA awards
- In 2019, AAA had 46 finalists at the Loeries and Pendorings, winning 2 golds, 3 silvers and 5 bronze awards.
We encourage our students to deliver their best, and many of them have been identified by the industry as top talent in this way. Each year, the industry also acknowledges our top students’ performance with awards in their various specialisations.
We can’t wait for the coming year to see what our students’ will create next.
The AAA lecturers are respected academics and industry professionals, which means our students receive the most up-to-date and relevant tuition. Furthermore, guest speakers and hands-on participation by experts provide students with the opportunity to interact with, and market themselves to advertising people in the industry who matter. Thus, long before graduating, AAA students can begin to shape their careers. Many final year students receive employment offers even before they write their final exams, or while serving their mandatory internships.
