This year, Vega students took home seven student Loeries in total. As a result of Gen V’s success – they’re the ones who don't do conformity and don't do ordinary, remember – the Vega School of Branding was ranked third in the Loeries’ ‘top educational institutions for 2016’ table.

Loeries 2016-winning Vega students.

Members of the teams behind these wins for Vega, a brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE), share their plans to extend their winning streak as they enter the industry this year.

Gen V on Vega’s creative student success

These include 35-year-old multimedia design student Guillaume de Villiers, part of the team behind integrated campaign silver for ‘Danny the Mechanic’ for Danny’s Auto Repairs as well as student radio silver for Dr Martens #Standforsomething; with Cape Town campus copywriting teammate 20-year-old Mogammat Kabir 'KB' Jardine; Pretoria-based copywriting student Julia Smith and her multimedia design teammates Bernard Cloete and Dewet Cilliers, behind the bronze internet and mobile application design Loerie-winning ‘Renegades’ Loerie for Gunslinger Longboards; 20-year-old Durban copywriting student Christopher Pitman and 21-year-old visual design student Marc Neilson, behind the silver collateral design-winning ‘Rainbow jazz crate’ for The Rainbow Restaurant; and 21-year-old Johannesburg-based multimedia design student Stefan Schmid, part of the team behind the silver internet and media Loerie for Amnesty Internationals’ ‘Wastenot’ app. Vega’s last two bronze Loeries went to Durban’s visual communications student Courtney Weakley in the publication design category for 'Double Take Durban' for Street Scene’s City Guide booklet, and to Johannesburg students, copywriter Uraisha Naidoo and visual communicator Jason Walden in the internet and mobile category for the Carte Blanche ‘Jack’ app.

Pitman and Neilson.

Cilliers, Smith and Cloete.

De Villiers.

Schmid.

De Villiers, Jardine, Smith, Cloete, Cilliers, Pitman, Neilson and Schmid share their local inspiration, who they admire most in the industry and more…

1. Share your top three emotions linked to your Loeries’ wins and 2016 rankings.

De Villiers: Ecstatic, disbelief, and ‘cold beer’!

Jardine: Happiness-induced hyperventilation, muddled confusion and an overwhelming sense of pride.

Smith, Cloete, Cilliers: Excitement, pride and achievement.

Pitman and Neilson: We were both extremely proud and humbled to receive the award. Winning such a prestigious award instilled confidence in ourselves as a creative team and made us very excited to start our career paths as young creatives.

Schmid: Happiness, pride, amazement.

2. How do you plan on keeping – if not bettering – your rankings in 2017, as you enter the industry?

De Villiers' designer profile.

De Villiers: I am busy conjuring up some cunning entrepreneurial concoctions this year, which involves my first love, audio production. As she’s a damsel that demands my utmost dedication and commitment, let me not jinx our love affair by disclosing too much of our saucy secrets. (Winky-face emoji)!

I founded Abbott Audio Recording Studio in Cape Town during 2004 and I have been working as an audio/music producer ever since. Having recently obtained some new multimedia and marketing knowledge through my studies at Vega School, I am in the process of expanding the business. I am currently drawing up plans for some new business ventures, so with a little luck, blood, sweat, and tears, the birdies at Abbott Audio will spread their wings and fly well into 2017.

Jardine: To up the tongue-in-cheek levels by at least 10% and keep my work as South African as the gatsby I am about to eat tonight - all the while remembering the skills I learnt at Vega School and having fun, of course.

Smith, Cloete, Cilliers: We graduated from Vega at the end of 2016, and unfortunately we will all be going in separate directions. Vega School has certainly moulded us into unique creatives, and this award is the perfect way to end off our tertiary education, motivating and guiding us to take on industry obstacles.

Pitman and Neilson: As young creatives we strive to bring something fresh to interesting South African brands that are not regular clients for the big, award-winning South African agencies. Vega School teaches you to think outside the box, so we are always looking to connect with the consumer through contact points inherent to South African culture, thus creating strategies and executions that instil a sense of pride in our community. We currently operate on a freelance basis and are looking for work opportunities both in South Africa and worldwide following our internships, which ended in December. We are also working on an integrated campaign titled Common Enemy, which we will be submitting to The One Show Awards for their 2017 Young Ones brief.

Schmid: Hard work, determination and an unfaltering trust in myself. Vega has really given me the tools I need to create forward- and free-thinking designs and concepts.

3. Where are you displaying your Loeries?

De Villiers: Alas, my birds are still flocking south to make their nest, so as yet, I have a special branch awaiting their arrival in my home studio. Last year, the branch hung with leaves of badly drawn storyboards, this year, it bears the fruit to feed lively little chirps!

Jardine: Vega School shall be showcasing our Loeries in their reception room on campus for all to see. I didn't enter the Student Loeries Awards in 2015, unfortunately – so a definite improvement!

Smith, Cloete, Cilliers: On 8 November, we displayed our work at Vega's annual Showcase 2016.

Pitman and Neilson: Our Loerie can be seen on our physical and online portfolios. The award substantiates the potential in our work as experimental young creatives, allowing the industry to see that alternate strategies can be extremely effective in shifting mindsets and speaking truth to the consumer.

Schmid: At Vega School, as well as through various social media platforms and at home.

4. Tell us who you personally admire in the industry – both an established mentor figure as well as a newcomer making waves.

De Villiers: If I am to be perfectly honest, and my cheeks blush as I say this, I’m new to advertising, thus I have not yet found my Buddha of branding, however studying at Vega School has really broadened my horizons and my way of creative thinking. There are some genius case studies I have come across that left my very vocal mouth speechless. Being tremendously fond of alternative and guerilla marketing tactics, one such campaign is a radio campaign for the British television show, Secret Diaries of a Call Girl. This campaign video is well worth a watch online. It acted as some saucy inspiration for our winning radio campaign.

Jardine: I don't really know any established figures or newcomers in the industry, but I had the great pleasure of briefly working with Xolisa Dyeshana, the ECD of Joe Public in Johannesburg at a Creative Bootcamp – he was bloody awesome.

Smith, Cloete, Cilliers: Our lecturers have always been an inspiration to us. They are always working on exciting projects and developing phenomenal ideas. It easy to feel inspired when you are surrounded by such inspiring creatives.

Pitman and Neilson: Marc won the lovely opportunity of traveling to New York to be a part of the One Show Boot Camp 2016. He met various creative minds over the course of his stay. Sheldon Stewart and Darren Borrino are an art-directing team working for OpenCo and their work really stood out. It appealed to us for a number of reasons, namely because it is fearless in addressing issues relevant to our community.

Schmid Established: Michele de Venter, and newcomer: myself as I am amazed at what I can achieve through hard work and determination. I am currently creating an industry-worthy portfolio…

We’re definitely looking forward to seeing what 2017 holds. Click through to our Loeries’ special section for more, here for Vega’s press office, and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.