by Tom Parisi
Two teams of NIU students are among the finalists in Chipotle Mexican Grill’s student advertising contest, “30 Seconds of Fame.”
The students’ 30-second video ads, titled “Just the Fax” and “Lucho Libre,” are posted along with the 10 other finalists on Chipotle’s Web site at www.chipotle.com.
The winning entry is expected to be announced Thursday, Nov. 15. The winning team will receive a $15,000 prize, with an additional $15,000 going to the team’s university.
Chris Darkes, a senior communication major, said the idea for the “Just the Fax” entry came to him in a dream. “I pitched it to the other members and they liked it, so we just went ahead and filmed it,” said Darkes, who appears in the spot.
Other students who produced “Just the Fax” are Brittany Samson, Sara Honchar and Joe Giorgi.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said Kristen Morrison, a senior communication major and member of the team that created the “Lucho Libre” entry. “We looked at a few (videos) from last year’s contest and thought we could do something that would measure up.”
“Lucho Libre” team members also include Tom Conlon, Nick Ziolkowski, Steven Stein, Geoff Maxfield, Steve Coughlin, Ruben Ramos, Kathryn Panger, Matt Weinstein and Matt Kososki.
Both teams are made up of members of the NIU Student Film and Video Association.
“The students did everything. They chose their teams, wrote the scripts and did all the production work,” said Laura Vazquez, a professor in the Department of Communication and adviser to the association. “I think they did a great job. The videos are very creative and well-produced.”
Vazquez said Chipotle sent invitations to more than 70 universities to encourage participation in the student video contest.
“To have two of the top 12 spots is pretty amazing,” Vazquez said. “It’s all about talent. And we have it right here at NIU.”