Bailey Tinsley entered college wanting to be a filmmaker. After three years and the help of the Manship School of Mass Communication, he is now one of the top advertising students in the nation.
Tinsley was named one of the top 15 advertising students in the nation by the American Advertising Federation. Tinsley was nominated by Digital Advertising Professor Jun Heo and was one of 33 national candidates for the award.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tinsley said. “It’s what I’ve been working for since I got here. I always felt like I needed to prove to LSU that I was worth it.”
Tinsley aspired to become a filmmaker before college. He joined the Manship School to cultivate his storytelling skills. It was not until his Digital Brands course with professor Lance Porter when he realized his passion for advertising.
“I have this honor because the Manship School helped me cultivate that love for advertising and that passion,” Tinsley said.
Tinsley said he realized he could use advertising as a medium to tell stories while creating brand identity and connecting to the audience.
“It’s funny because my sources of inspiration have always been filmmakers,” Tinsley said. “They create this experience where you sit down in the theater and you’re there, living in that world. That’s part of what I want to help do in advertising, to make those experiences.”
Tinsley almost immediately became involved with on-campus advertising opportunities. He became a member of 1860 Creative, an LSU design group of students who create digital advertisements for prospective students.
Tinsley led the group’s “Make Friends” video series, which was featured on LSU’s home page and offered prospective students tips on how to find friends on a large college campus. The series now collectively has over 2,600 views.
Tinsley also completed a six-month creative services internship with Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, in which he worked closely with the company’s social media networks. He now actively participates in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and serves as treasurer for AdFed’s LSU chapter.
As an award recipient, Tinsley entered the Vance and Betty Stickell Internship Program, which places outstanding juniors with national advertising agencies and companies for internships. Recipients also receive a $4,800 stipend and housing allowance to cover travel expenses.
Tinsley, a Plano, Texas native, will be interning with digital advertising agency Slingshot, LLC in Dallas, Texas for ten weeks.
Tinsley aspires to work as an account planner for an international advertising agency.
“I want to work at a top agency with brands that millions love just so that I can tell stories with the world through advertisements,” Tinsley said. “In order to get there, I have to try and be the best I can.”
